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Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
HAU scientists make landmark discovery in strawberry crown rot disease
1 2 Hisar: In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU), Hisar, identified 'colletotrichum nymphaeae' as the causal organism behind crown rot disease in strawberries, which is a major threat to fruit yield. This is the first-ever report of this pathogen causing crown rot in strawberries in India. University vice-chancellor Prof B R Kamboj highlighted the importance of early scientific interventions to manage emerging crop diseases and ensure the long-term sustainability of fruit production. He noted that the university's scientists are working actively to develop effective management strategies and expressed confidence in finding viable solutions soon. The research findings were accepted for publication in Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, a globally recognised journal published by Elsevier, with a NAAS rating of 8.8. The journal acknowledged this study as the first formal documentation of Colletotrichum nymphaeae as a crown rot pathogen in strawberries from India, marking a significant contribution to global plant pathology research. HAU's director of research, Rajbir Garg, said that Hisar has become one of the largest strawberry-producing clusters in North India, with around 700 acres under cultivation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Strawberries grown in Saharwa village of Hisar are even reaching international markets. Inspired by Saharwa's success, farmers from nearby villages — Chanana, Harita, and Miran — have also taken up strawberry cultivation, helping transform the region into a high-value fruit farming hub. The foundation of the strawberry cluster in Hisar was laid in 1996 by HAU scientists. Since then, the region has seen steady growth in production despite ongoing biological challenges. Among these, crown rot disease has become a particularly serious concern, threatening both yield and profitability. Adesh Kumar, lead researcher of the study, said the research team is focused on understanding the disease outbreak and developing targeted strategies to reduce its impact. Their aim is to ensure the safety and sustainability of strawberry cultivation in the region. Contributing members of the research team include HAU scientists Anil Kumar Saini, Sushil Sharma, Rakesh Gehlot, Anil Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, K.C. Rajesh Kumar, Vikas Kumar Sharma, Romi Rawal, R.P.S. Dalal, and PhD scholar Shubham Saini. MSID:: 122906399 413 |
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Hisar university students relent after Haryana govt panel accepts demands
Jun 25, 2025 05:40 PM IST Students at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) in Hisar, who had been demanding the resignation of vice-chancellor BR Kamboj after the June 10 lathi-charge, on Wednesday agreed to call off their protest after a four-member Haryana government panel agreed to accept their demands. Students of the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) in Hisar, who had been demanding the resignation of vice-chancellor BR Kamboj after the June 10 lathi-charge, agreed to call off their protest on Wednesday. (HT file photo) Interacting with mediapersons at the PWD rest house in Hisar, the agitating students said that state education minister Mahipal Dhanda, who was heading the panel, agreed to accept seven of their demands and negotiated on the eighth one pertaining to Kamboj's resignation. Student representatives said the minister assured them over phone that the vice-chancellor will be sent on six-month leave until a three-member judicial committee submits its report over his role in the lathi-charge. The minister accepted their other demands. 'Chief security officer Sukhbir Singh will be banned from holding this position on the main campus of the varsity; no legal and disciplinary action will be taken against the protesting students; all exams along with seminars and thesis submission and PG entrance will be rescheduled after at least three weeks; two representatives in the academic council will be directly elected by the students; uniform fee structure for junior research fellowship (JRF) availing students and non-JRF students; barring registrar Pawan Kumar, dean, social welfare, Madan Khichar from holding administrative posts until their retirement,' a student representative said. The students said that their other demands, such as revision of the stipend structure, rollback of seat reservations for land donation villages (LDV) and withdrawal of the 93rd amendment of university calendar volume- II were accepted. The protesters said that they have taken back their ultimatum of closing all four gates of the university on June 27. Earlier, the government panel that also included social justice and empowerment minister Krishan Bedi and Nalwa MLA Randhir Panihar held five rounds of talks with the protesters on Saturday and Sunday. The talks remained inconclusive as the students were adamant on the removal of the vice-chancellor.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Haryana: Will lock HAU gates if demands unmet by Jun 26, warn protesters
Students of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) in Hisar, who have been demanding resignation of vice-chancellor (VC) Prof BR Kamboj in connection with June 10 lathicharge, on Tuesday said they would close all four gates of the varsity and suspend the work if their demands were not met by June 26. The protesting students had called a mahapanchayat which was attended by several social activists, farmer union leaders, political leaders and student union leaders from across the country. Addressing the students, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said the people associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have taken control over the educational institutes without any merit. (HT Photo) Farmer union leaders Rakesh Tikait, Yudhvir Singh and political leaders, including Rania MLA Arjun Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal, his cousin Digvijay Singh Chautala, who heads the youth wing of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), former finance minister and senior Congress leader Sampat Singh and Kaithal MLA Aditya Surjewala, were among those who attended the mahapanchayat and extended their support to the students. Vinod Kumar, a student leader, said, 'We have given an ultimatum to the government and sought acceptance of our eight demands by June 26. If they fail to do so, we, along with social activists, will close all four gates of the university on June 27 morning. We are demanding resignation of vice-chancellor BR Kamboj, action against those named in the FIR and their termination, revision of the stipend structure, rollback of seat reservations for Land Donation Villages (LDV), and medical compensation for injured students, taking back FIR registered against students along with other demands,' he said. Addressing the students, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said the people associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have taken control over the educational institutes without any merit. 'Earlier, this government used lathis on farmers. Now, they thrashed students. These students come from humble backgrounds from all castes, whose forefathers played a key role in India's independence. The students had changed regimes earlier too and this is a fight just to remove the vice-chancellor,' he added. INLD's Rania MLA Arjun Chautala said he raised the issue of 'autocratic' functioning of the vice-chancellor, who 'falsely claimed to receive the MS Swaminathan award' for his contribution in the farming sector. 'The VC is running his own government on the campus and he instructed the security guards to attack the students. He will have to go. Our party and student body are standing with the students. You have to stay firm on your demands. I will again raise this issue in the state assembly,' he added. Kaithal MLA Aditya Surjewala said the Congress would stand in solidarity with students from Chandigarh to Delhi. He said that the party would raise the issue in the state assembly and Parliament. JJP's youth body state president Digvijay Chautala condemned the attack on students and termed it a 'cowardly act' by the vice-chancellor. 'A person who gave orders to use baton on students has no right to run the office. His arrogance and oppressive action has crossed all limits and now he should pack his bag to vacate the campus,' he added. Former student leader and social activist Ramesh Punia alleged, 'The vice-chancellor is indulged in corrupt practices as he appointed his relatives and loyalists to key positions. Assistant professor Radhe Shyam, who was arrested for assaulting students, is a relative of another accused — chief security officer Sukhbir Singh — and he was appointed during Kamboj's tenure. Sukhbir was promoted as chief security officer by changing several rules while his wife Bas Kaur was appointed assistant professor and hostel warden. She is mounting pressure on girl students to stay away from protest.' He further alleged that VC's wife Santosh Kumari had claimed house rent allowance in violation of norms while serving as a government school principal, and later returned the same. 'The VC appointed his wife as director of the HAU's campus school without any advertisement,' he said, adding, 'Sukhbir Singh terminated the services of 52 security guards on VC's direction and appointed 40 security guards from their closed circle. The government should remove the VC and initiate a high level probe.' Repeated attempts to establish contact with VC Kamboj, chief security officer Sukhbir Singh and others went futile as they didn't respond to calls.
Hindustan Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Panel alleges political instigation as HAU students insist on VC's removal
The scheduled talks between the Haryana government's four-member panel and the protesting students of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU), Hisar, failed to take place on Monday as students refused to engage in any dialogue unless the state first removed vice-chancellor BR Kamboj from his post. The scheduled talks between the Haryana government's four-member panel and the protesting students of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU), Hisar, failed to take place on Monday as students refused to engage in any dialogue unless the state first removed vice-chancellor BR Kamboj from his post. (HT File) Firm on their demand, the students said they would not return to the negotiation table until the vice-chancellor was ousted. In response, Haryana education minister Mahipal Dhanda accused opposition parties of provoking the students to prolong the agitation without regard for their academic future. 'We held discussions with the students for hours on Saturday and Sunday. While some appeared convinced, they later reverted to their primary demand—the removal of the VC. We were surprised at how this became their central issue,' Dhanda said. He added that the panel had already agreed to several student demands, including disciplinary action against an assistant professor, revision of the stipend structure, rollback of seat reservations for Land Donation Villages (LDV), and medical compensation for injured students. The minister also said the panel assured the formation of a probe committee comprising two senior IAS officers and a professor chosen by the students to investigate the vice-chancellor's role in the June 10 lathi-charge incident. 'We made it clear that if the VC is found at fault, action will be taken. Still, the students insisted on his immediate removal before resuming talks. This rigidity, I believe, is being fuelled by opposition parties. Exams are underway, and if students boycott them, final-year students may miss out on postgraduate and PhD admissions,' Dhanda warned. Social justice and empowerment minister Krishan Kumar Bedi, another member of the panel, said all discussions held over the weekend were recorded at the students' request. 'Despite stone-pelting outside the VC's residence and attacks on other faculty, we chose not to escalate matters. We agreed to the students' demands and even proposed a fair inquiry into the VC's conduct. But they've now approached police themselves, demanding an FIR against them be registered. We're confused about who is misleading these students. We want what's best for them and remain open to talks,' Bedi said. Meanwhile, the protesting students announced plans to hold a mahapanchayat on campus on June 24. They said representatives from opposition parties, student and farmer unions, and women's rights groups would participate. Rejecting the government's proposals, students accused the panel of showing a 'half-hearted' commitment. 'The ministers didn't act decisively against those booked in the lathi-charge. The VC had students brutally beaten and tried to divide us along caste and regional lines. He has misused his position during recruitment and other official matters. The university cannot function properly until BR Kamboj is removed,' they said. The students alleged that the Hisar SP Shashank Kumar Sawan mocked them during the meeting and called them 'emotional fools' and trying to link them with a local woman, who was recently arrested for sedition. ' When we told about June 10 incident to the panel, the SP said that rape and murder took place every day. He said that 13 students leading the protest would be responsible if any untoward incident took place,' the protesters, who attended the meeting alleged. 'The entire meeting was recorded and the students are misquoting the things,' the SP said while refuting the allegations.
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Haryana Agricultural University standoff: Talks fail again as students adamant on VC's removal
Talks between a four-member Haryana government panel and students of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU), Hisar, remained inconclusive on the second consecutive day on Sunday. The students have been protesting on the agri varsity campus since June 10 after a lathicharge by university officials and security personnel left at least 20 students injured. Students of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University during a protest rally in Hisar on Sunday. (HT) The panel, comprising Haryana education minister Mahipal Dhanda, social justice and empowerment minister Krishan Bedi and Nalwa MLA Randhir Panihar and district administration officials, held day-long deliberations with the students' delegation at the mini-secretariat. However, the students alleged that the ministers were pressuring them to end the protest without providing strong assurances. While the committee agreed to change the university's stipend structure and rollback seat reservations for Land Donation Villages (LDV), they refused to guarantee action against those involved in the June 10 lathicharge and the removal of vice-chancellor BR Kamboj. 'It seems the government panel wants to escalate the protest. The ministers told us they have no power to remove the vice-chancellor, which clearly shows they're shielding him. They also failed to assure us that action would be taken against those named in the FIR for assaulting students,' said a student after the seven-hour meeting. Dhanda, however, expressed hope that the issue would be resolved during further discussions on Monday. 'These students are our children. Some of their demands have been agreed to and the remaining issues will also be discussed,' he said. Meanwhile, students announced they would prepare for a mahapanchayat on June 24 to demand the V-C's removal and the arrest of the university's registrar and chief security officer. The unrest began on June 10 when students gathered outside vice-chancellor BR Kamboj's residence to protest changes in the stipend structure and the rollback of seat reservations for LDV. The situation escalated when university officials and security personnel allegedly unleashed a lathicharge, leaving at least 20 students injured. Some of them sustained deep head wounds that required six to 30 stitches.
