A Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) alumnus was elected to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly in the recently concluded provincial elections, the results of which were announced on Tuesday.

Canadian politician representing the New Democratic Party (NDP), Tajinder Grewal obtained his bachelor’s degree in agriculture (with distinction), his master’s degree and his doctorate in plant sciences at UPA and worked as an assistant professor at the Biotechnology Center from 1993 to 1999.

In 1999, he moved to Canada with his family. He currently works as the Chief Scientist and Head of the Genomics Laboratory at SGS Canada, a multinational company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

He previously worked as a research officer at the University of Saskatchewan and as a research scientist at the Saskatchewan Research Council. Grewal has a passion for agriculture that led him to become a professional agronomist at the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists. A member of numerous national and international professional organizations and the GMO committee of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), Grewal has extensive experience working in academia (universities), government and the private sector.

Additionally, Grewal played a significant role in the creation of the Punjabi Cultural Association of Saskatchewan in 2004 and served as its president from 2010 to 2012.

Grewal was elected to the board of directors of the Saskatoon Cooperative Association (Saskatoon Coop) from 2021 to 2024. He was the first person of color since the creation of the Saskatoon Co-op in 1936 to serve on the board of directors. He became active in politics in 2014 and has held many senior positions within the Saskatchewan NDP party. He served as vice-president of the Saskatchewan NDP from 2016 to 2019 and was elected as the Member of Parliament for the University of Saskatoon-Sutherland on October 28, 2024.