Bengal gets first private veterinary college

Kolkata, Nov 14 (PTI) West Bengal’s first private veterinary college on Friday started functioning, marking a significant step towards addressing the demand–supply gap of professionals in the sector, according to a statement.

India requires over 1.5 lakh veterinarians, but has only 61,943 trained professionals, leaving a 60 per cent shortfall, according to a study published in the Indian Journal of Animal Sciences.

The demand is projected to rise sharply to 2.84 lakh by 2040, underscoring the urgent need for expanded private-sector capacity in veterinary education and services in West Bengal.

The livestock sector contributes about 3.89 per cent to the state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and nearly 20.34 per cent to its agricultural GDP.

JIS College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (JISCOVAS) has been constructed on a 30-acre campus in Mogra in Hooghly district.

The formal announcement was made by the group Managing Director Sardar Taranjit Singh.

Affiliated to the West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences (WBUAFS) and recognised by the Veterinary Council of India (VCI), the institution will offer the five-and-a-half-year Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (B.V.Sc. & A.H.) programme.

This includes a compulsory one-year internship. The annual intake capacity has been fixed at 80 students.

Admissions will require NEET qualification, along with 50 per cent marks in physics, chemistry, biology and English at the 10+2 level for general category candidates. The eligible age range is 18 to 25 years. PTI BSM BDC