Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is a publicly funded agricultural university located in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. Established in 1962, it is the nation's third-oldest agricultural university, after Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, and Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneshwar. The institution was formally inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on 8 July 1962.
PAU was constituted under the Haryana and Punjab Agricultural Universities Act, 1970, enacted by Parliament. The university is widely credited with pioneering the Green Revolution in India during the 1960s, contributing significantly to advances in crop research, seed development and farm extension. Its jurisdiction extends across the entire state of Punjab.
In 2005, the university was bifurcated with the formation of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), which took over the veterinary and animal sciences faculties. PAU has continued to focus on teaching, research and extension in agriculture and allied disciplines.
Since 1967, PAU has organised Farmers Fairs on its Ludhiana campus, held bi-annually in March and September. The two-day events draw at least one lakh farmers, not only from Punjab but also from neighbouring states such as Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. Visitors come to procure high-quality seeds and farm equipment, and to learn about new agricultural technologies and practices being developed at the university.
In the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) agriculture and allied sectors ranking for 2024, the university was ranked third.