It was formally inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on July 8, 1962.

It was bifurcated in 2005 with the formation of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU).

Farmers not only from Punjab, but also from neighbouring states such as Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, etc., travel to the PAU campus to buy high-quality seeds, farm equipment and gain knowledge on new agricultural technologies in the two-day main fair event.

The university has 18 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in districts Amritsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ferozepur, Samrala (Ludhiana), Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Noor Mahal (Jalandhar), Kapurthala, Langroya (SBS Nagar), Mansa, Moga, Ropar, Patiala, Sangrur and Mukatsar Sahib.

The university extends services to farmers through 14 Farmers' Advisory Service Centres (FASCs) in districts Abohar (Fazilka), Amritsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Noor Mahal (Jalandhar), Kapurthala, Tarntaran, Ropar, Patiala, Barnala, Sangrur, and one in Chandigarh.