Ritu Mittal is presently working as Pr. Scientist in the department of Extension Education and Communication Management, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India. She has around twenty two years of experience in the field of extension, research and teaching. Her field of specialization is diffusion and adoption of homestead technologies, organisational communication, communication management, extension training management, capacity building and women entrepreneurship and empowerment. Her major responsibility is research along with teaching and extension. She has worked as PI and Co PI in six projects sponsored by World Bank, DST, ICAR, NCW and CSR. She has published 59 research papers, 17 popular articles and several book chapters. She has presented research papers in several International and National conferences/ seminars. To her credit, she conducted first empirical test to Test Information Manipulation Theory in India. She has taught many of the undergraduate and post graduate courses besides guiding 4 PhD and 8 MSc students for their research work. She is unit coordinator under AICRP- Women in Agriculture.

Professional accomplishment 

Research projects completed

1. Sustainable Livestock based farming system for livelihood security’ in Hoshiarpur district, Punjab(NAIP-5) funded by World Bank in 2008-2014 as Associated Scientist
2. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of students admitted in Northern SAUs during XII FYP funded by ICAR, New Delhi from 2017 to 2018 as PI
3. Sensitizing farming families for sustainable water use behavior under CSR funded under CSR by BCS Pvt. Ltd., Ludhiana from 2022 to 2025 as PI
4. Social Marketing of Water Saving Technologies to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change funded by DST, New Delhi from 2015 to 2017 as Co-PI
5. Employability of Home Science Graduates and Post Graduates of Punjab Agricultural University funded by ICAR, New Delhi from 2016 to 2017 as Co-PI
6. Women in Dairy Farming Sector on Value Addition of Milk and Milk Products funded by NCW, New Delhi from 2022 to 2023 as Co-PI

Research papers

1. Saikia R A and Mittal R (2022). Lifestyle of Farming Community in Punjab: A Major Health Determinant. Ind J Ext Edu58:77-80. (NAAS rating- 5.32)
2. Mittal R and Randhawa V (2021). Perceived deception in upward organizational communication: an examination of information manipulation theory. Ind J Ext Edu 57(2): 105-114 (NAAS rating- 5.9)
3. Kaur G and Mittal R (2021).Gender Mapping in Vegetable Cultivation in Sangrur and Patiala districts of Punjab.Ind J Ext Edu57:1-6. (NAAS rating- 5.32)
4. Abrol P and Gupta R M (2022) Promoting the nutri – sensitive agriculture through extension and advisory services. J Comm Mob and Sust Dev. Seminar Special Issue: 416-421. May 26-28, 2022 (NAAS rating-  5.30)
5. Gupta R M, Negi A, Sharma P and Kaur S (2023) Existing water usage practices in rural households of Punjab. The Pharma Innovation Journal 12(2):1962-1966. (NAAS rating – 5.23)

Awards and honors (Till date)

• Awarded University Merit Scholarship during M.Sc. degree programme
• Awarded Merit Certificate for being M.Sc. topper in 1999 in CCSHAU, Hisar
• Awarded University Merit Scholarship during Ph.D. degree programme
• Qualified ‘National Eligibility Test’ conducted by UGC in 1999.
• Qualified ‘National Eligibility Test’ conducted by UGC in 2003.
• Won Commendation Certificate for creating Best Lab Journal in Refresher Course on Communication Skills and technical writing at CCSHAU, Hisar in 2008.
• Best poster presentation award during National Incubators Colloquium held at ABIC, CCSHAU, Hisar from January 15-16, 2020
• Academic excellence Award for the year 2021 at INSc: Institute of scholars, Registered under MSME, Government of India.