Gems of PAU Botany: Subhash Gupta

Subhash Gupta

PAU Ludhiana

1971-75

I, Subhash Gupta was student of Department of Botany, College of Basic Sciences & Humanities, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab) India for the period 1971-1975 in integrated M.Sc Hons program in Botany. I was awarded a Gold Medal for outstanding performance in BSc Hons and passed my M.Sc. Hons. with distinction. 

Thereafter, I got UGC scholarship to pursue PhD  and also got opportunity to pursue my studies in Australia.  I opted  for Australia for higher studies.  I completed my Ph.D in Biological Sciences in 1980 and then moved to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. 

Several years of research work in plant biochemistry was followed by  research on biocontrol of plant pests using entomopathogenic fungi and published extensively in international journals. 

After several years of research, I joined the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and regulated genetically engineered organisms. 

While working I had an opportunity to travel to more than 20 countries to assist foreign governments with their Biotechnology regulatory frameworks and also fortunate to participate in International fora such as Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to work with several member economies like Australia, Canada, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, China and Vietnam etc.

As I recall my life journey I feel satisfied on two fronts: professional & personal. Professional I have listed above. At personal level it is an interesting evolution from being a shy student from a small Mandi town of Abohar in Punjab to being an International diaspora.

When I came from Abohar to PAU Ludhiana in 1971 as a teenager my primary focus was studies. This focus brought me gold medal in B.Sc & distinction in M.Sc. But my rustic dialect from hometown mixed with Bagri Hindi and Punjabi did not gel well with the hard core Punjabi of friends from Malwa, Doaba & Majha. In addition, being a Marwari I was pure vegetarian. It took me sometime to adapt to the culture in PAU. This adaptation taught me so much that I was very comfortable thereafter in going from place to place and now I am an International & a globalised family. 

I am happily married and have two children, a daughter and a son, who are both married.  We are blessed with three grandchildren who enrich our life every day.