Ruchika Zalpouri, a former student of the Department of Processing and Food Engineering at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, has been recognised with the Best Thesis Award – PhD at the 8th Plantica Academic and Research Awards 2025. The awards were organised by the Association of Plant Science Researchers (APSR), an ISO 9001:2015 certified body registered under The Indian Trust Act, 1882, ensure compliance with MSME, Government of India. The award ceremony took place online on August 31.
She earned the honour for her doctoral research titled “Development and Evaluation of Solar Assisted Refractance Window Dryer for Vegetable Purees.” The study was carried out under the mentorship of Dr Manpreet Singh, scientist in the Department of Renewable Energy Engineering at PAU. Her work focused on developing an advanced drying technology capable of processing heat-sensitive food products while maintaining their nutritional value and sensory qualities.
The selection process for the award included two phases — an initial screening followed by a detailed thesis presentation. In recognition of her accomplishment, Zalpouri received a certificate, a medal, and life membership in APSR.
Senior university officials, including Vice-Chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal, Dean (Postgraduate Studies) Manav Indra Singh Gill, Dean of the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology Manjeet Singh, Head of Processing and Food Engineering Tarsem Chand Mittal, and Head of Renewable Energy Engineering Sukhmeet Singh, congratulated her on the achievement and extended their best wishes for her future career.
Final Thoughts
This achievement highlights the growing role of research-driven innovation in sustainable food processing. Developing technologies like the solar-assisted refractance window dryer is especially important at a time when agriculture and food systems are under pressure to become more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.
Ruchika Zalpouri’s work bridges renewable energy and food engineering, showing how interdisciplinary PhD research can create practical solutions that benefit farmers, food processors, and consumers alike. By focusing on preserving nutritional and sensory quality in heat-sensitive produce, the research also supports efforts to reduce post-harvest losses and improve food value chains.
The recognition at a national academic platform not only honours individual excellence but also reflects PAU’s strong research ecosystem in agricultural engineering and sustainable technologies. Such achievements encourage more young researchers to pursue impactful doctoral research that addresses real-world challenges in food security and clean energy.
Overall, this award is a reminder that PhD research is not just academic — it can lead to scalable technologies with real societal and environmental benefits.
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