Dr. Ch. Venu Gopala Reddy
Dean of Students Affairs
dsa@pjtau.edu.in
Dr. Ch. Venu Gopala Reddy is currently serving as the Dean of Student Affairs at PJTAU. He holds a Ph.D. in Extension Education and has over 27 years of experience in teaching, extension, and administration. He has made significant contributions to the field of Agricultural Extension through academic leadership, research, and capacity building.
His academic career includes roles as Assistant Professor (1998–2007), Associate Professor (2007–2013), and Professor (2013–present). As a faculty member in the Department of Agricultural Extension, he has taught B.Sc. (Ag), B.Sc. (CA & BM), M.Sc. (Ag), and Ph.D. courses. He also played a key role in curriculum development, particularly during the 4th Deans Committee reforms and BSMA (Social Sciences) meetings.
In research, Dr. Reddy has guided 20 postgraduate and doctoral students and served as a co-investigator in an ICAR Adhoc project. He has also conducted eight monitoring and evaluation studies of national schemes such as ATMA and RKVY across Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. His major extension initiatives include establishing the PJTAU Agri Info Hub at the Administrative Office, publishing Telangana Vyavasayam: Diksuchi, and contributing editorials that helped raise the University Journal of Research NAAS score from 3.35 to 4.38.
As an extension trainer, he has served as Course Director/Coordinator for more than 60 training programmes for development officers across southern India and has organized 10 faculty development programmes and consultancy trainings for the Agriculture Departments of Maharashtra and Odisha.
He also conducted regional workshops for finalizing training calendars for the Extension Education Institute (EEI), Government of India, and coordinated 20 national agricultural exhibitions to showcase university innovations and technologies.
In administration, Dr. Reddy served as Associate Dean of Agricultural College, Aswaraopet (2013–2016), where his tenure was marked by institutional stability, infrastructure development, and innovative student activities, including a significant rise in postgraduate admissions. As Principal Agricultural Information Officer (2016-2024), he has enhanced the university’s visibility through strategic outreach and communication initiatives.
He has published 59 research papers, 24 review articles, and more than 250 popular articles, and has served as Chief Editor for several university publications, including 100 monthly farm magazines, seven volumes of PJTAU News, and eight volumes of the Journal of Research.
Dr. Reddy also initiated student clubs across all colleges to promote the overall development of students. As a State Nodal Officer, he played a pivotal role in launching and organizing the Rythu Mungitlo Sastravethalu – Farmer–Scientist Programme across the state. For the first time in India, agricultural students actively participated in such a programme, which received widespread appreciation.
He has been honoured with several awards, including the ICAR Best Teacher Award, PJTSAU Best Faculty Award, and the Bapatla Agricultural College Silver Jubilee Gold Medal. His career reflects a strong commitment to academic excellence, impactful extension work, and institutional development.