Establishment of separate Veterinary University in J&K
*Even terms of reference not laid down in nearly 6 yrs
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 10: In yet another instance of absolute non-serious approach towards the significant issues, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has twice framed high-level committee on the establishment of separate Veterinary University during the past nearly six years but no step has been initiated to ensure formal discussion.
Moreover, the terms of reference of the committee have not been laid down till date as a result of which the issue has remained confined to the orders issued by the General Administration Department.
In the year 2014 the then Government of Jammu and Kashmir felt it imperative to establish separate Veterinary University to train human resource, generate suitable technologies and transfer new technical knowledge to stakeholders for the purpose of enhancing income of farmers and livestock owners through animal husbandry.
Accordingly, vide Government Order No.771-GAD dated July 16, 2014 a high-level committee was constituted to examine setting up of a separate Veterinary University in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.
The committee headed by Chief Secretary and comprising Administrative Secretaries of Planning and Development, Finance, Agriculture Production, Animal and Sheep Husbandry Departments, Vice-Chancellors of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) Jammu/Kashmir, Prof Saleem Iqbal, Head of Department of Veterinary Physiology, SKUAST-Kashmir and Prof Pramod Baru, OSD to the Vice-Chancellor SKUAST-Jammu was directed to submit its recommendations within a period of one month.
It was specifically mentioned in the order that the committee shall be serviced by the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department.
However, neither the committee completed the assigned task nor the Government ever tried to ascertain the reasons behind the same and thereafter the issue remained non-priority for the successive Governments for years together.
Last year, the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir woke up from the deep slumber and this time the need was felt for separate University for Veterinary Sciences and Fisheries.
Accordingly, in supersession of Government Order No.771 of July 16, 2014, sanction was accorded to the reconstitution of the committee of experts for examining the feasibility for setting up of University in the UT of J&K.
Vide Order No.170-JKGAD dated December 11, 2019, high level committee comprising Vice-Chancellors of SKUAST-Kashmir and SKUAST-Jammu, Dr Vijay K Taneja, former DDG Animal Services ICAR, Dr A K Gahlot, Vice-Chancellor Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Dr S Ayyapam, former DG ICAR and Chancellor, Central Agriculture University, Imphal, Dr Gurdayyal Singh, Vice-Chancellor Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar and Dr J K Jena, DDG Fisheries and DDG Animal Science ICAR was asked to submit its report along with the recommendations within a period of six months.
It was specifically mentioned in the order that the committee shall seek formal views of DG, ICAR as a part of terms of reference and will be serviced by the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department.
Though the six months time-frame for holding deliberations and submission of report will be over tomorrow yet the committee of experts has not met even once mainly because of non-serious approach of those at the helm of affairs in the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department as they had to initiate the process of holding meetings after sending invitations to the experts, who are members of the committee, official sources said.
“The high-level committee doesn’t have the resources to make arrangements for the visit of experts and their stay in Jammu and Kashmir as such everything was supposed to be conducted by the department”, they further said, adding “all this indicates that seriousness about establishment of separate Veterinary University was confined to the issuance of Government orders only otherwise six years was sufficient period to arrive at formal conclusion”.
Highlighting the importance of Veterinary University, sources said that such a varsity has a mandate to plan, initiate, guide, coordinate and monitor the research in the field of Veterinary and Animal Sciences; maintain liaison with Government, ICAR, DST and other National and International Funding agencies for obtaining the financial support for various Veterinary and Animal Science research programmes; monitor animal health programme through disease investigation and surveillance; impart quality professional education and develop technologies suitable for promoting animal production.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
