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Dr V P Sethi joined B Tech in Agricultural Engineering at College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, PAU in the year 1985. He graduated in 1989 and gained industrial experience for two years before joining M Tech in the year 1991 in Mechanical Engineering department (Thermal Environmental Engg.,) at PAU. He received Jindal Irrigation scholarship during B Tech and PAU merit Scholarship during M Tech programme. He joined as Assistant Professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering in July 1993 and taught many subjects of Mechanical Engineering for about 11 years before joining Ph D (in Solar Thermal Engineering) at Energy Research Centre, Panjab University Chandigarh in 2004. His Ph D thesis was nominated amongst the top 10 best theses at the National level by Indian National Academy of Engineers (INAE) for innovative students’ project award-2007. He was promoted as Associate Professor in May 2007 and as Professor from July 2010. He remained Head of the Mechanical Engg. Dept. from Aug. 2014 to Aug. 2018. Now he has been given the additional responsibility of as HoD of the department.
Apart from teaching UG and PG courses, he has handled Five research projects as PI (i) ICAR funded extramural project; Design & Development of forced draft paddy straw bale combustor technology for water and greenhouse heating in winter for higher crop productivity. (ii) Design & Development of forced draft paddy straw bale combustor technology for multi-purpose applications (crop drying, room heating and cooking). (iii) Punjab Govt. (on Solar Energy Utilization), (ii) ICAR (AICRP, Solar Energy component) and (iii) RKVY (Indigenous Hydroponics Technology) & one Project as Associated Scientist (AICRP Wind Energy component).
During the last two decades, Dr Sethi has contributed significantly in research at National and International level by conducting important studies and developing technologies in the areas of Biomass (paddy straw management), greenhouse design, thermal modeling, micro-climate control, efficient solar cooker designs, Photovoltaic mathematical models for maximum power output. He has also developed many affordable and field-worthy greenhouse technologies for higher economic gains for the farmers. He has also developed indigenous substrate and Nutrient Film Technologies (NFT) hydroponics technologies (soil-less farming) for non-arable lands and urban rooftops along with nutrient dossier system for higher water and crop productivity.
In recognition of his research contributions, The Institution of Engineers (India) has awarded him two National awards (i) K F Antia Memorial award-2008 and (ii) President of India’s Award-2010 for best published work. He was sent by PAU for advance training on “Solar thermal & PV system applications” to the Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Dakota State University (NDSU), Fargo, USA for three months in 2011. Later on in 2012, Dr Sethi was again invited as “Visiting Research Faculty” by the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Plant Sciences NDSU for collaborative research work in the area of Greenhouse thermal modeling and Micro-climatic control.
He was awarded distinction at International level by Stanford University, USA on 19 Nov. 2019 by publishing the list of the top 2% best scientists list at global level in which his name was included (Rank 151141) for scientists working in all fields of research on the basis productive and useful work on the basis of highly cited research in the area of Energy for the period for last 25 years (1996-2020). Only 1000 Indian scientists could make into this prestigious list at global level. Recently he was Conferred with “International Fellow Award” for outstanding contributions organized by SardarVallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut and New Age Mobilization Society, New Delhi at National Conference on “Identification, Convergence, implementation & Extension of Researchable Issues (ICIESSD-2019) for Sustainable Development” 20-21 August 2019 at Meerut. He has published more than 80 research and review papers in international and national journals and presented 25 research papers and invited talks at National and International conferences in India and Abroad.
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