Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences

Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Motto	Animaux Soignes Hommes Aimes (French) ("Animals should be treated like humans")
Established	1994
Type	Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry education; Research Institute; Public
Admin. staff	59
Location	Pondicherry, India 11°56′16″N 79°45′49″E
Website	http://www.ragacovas.com

Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (RAGACOVAS)[1] is a veterinary college in Pondicherry (formally Puducherry).[2] Founded in 1994 in accordance to the newly stipulated, minimal standards of Veterinary Education in India, by the Veterinary Council of India, this college is affiliated to the Pondicherry University. The college serves as an educational institute for imparting undergraduate and masters specializations in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, as well as having a veterinary hospital/clinic providing quality veterinary health care in the region.[3]

History

The college was inaugurated on the auspicious day of Vijayadasami that fell on 14 October 1994 at a rented building at Ponlait, Kurumbapet, Pondicherry and christened as the Pondicherry Veterinary College. The college had a first batch of 30 students. The campus was spread out at two locations initially with classrooms at the Ponlait campus and laboratory facilities at the Krishi Vignan Kendra campus. Pondicherry Veterinary College was rechirstened as the Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in a state function presided over by Ms. Sonia Gandhi. In due time, a full-fledged 59-acre (240,000 m²) campus was established adjoining the Krishi Vignan Kendra campus at Kurumbapet, Pondicherry.[4]

The clinical training facility was established after a Veterinary Hospital run by the Animal Husbandry Department of Pondicherry State Government was taken over by the college to establish a full-fledged teaching hospital for imparting clinical training to the students.

RAGACOVAS was recognized by the Veterinary Council of India on 25 November 1999 and the first batch of students passed out with 25 graduates and their Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry (B.V.Sc and A.H.) degrees recognized by and included under the first schedule of the Indian Veterinary Council (IVC) act.[5]

The college has grown in leaps and bounds with 59 faculties mentoring students in 18 academic departments. RAGACOVAS is now offering Masters in Veterinary Science (M.V.Sc.) degrees also.[6]

Campus location

The campus is spread across three locations. The main campus [7] is set on picturesque locale adjoining the Krishi Vignan Kendra campus on the Thirukanur Road,[8] at Kurumbapet which is about 6 km from the Pondicherry bus station and the railway station. This campus can be reached by buses plying from Pondicherry to Thirukanur.

The main campus houses Campus A and B. Campus A consists of the Administrative Block, Departments, Central Library, Herbal Garden, Mini Zoo and the Livestock Farm. Campus B [9] consists of the ICAR Block, Student Hostels, Dean's Quarters, Faculty & Non-Teaching Staff Quarters, Playground, Gymnasium /Badminton Court and Basketball Court. The Teaching hospital campus [10] is located in the Industrial Estate at Mettupalayam and this campus can also be reached through Vazhudhavoor Road.[11]

Located just a couple of kilometers from the Ousteri lake, the campus provides idyllic settings for excellent professional training. Being a typical tropical town, the climatic pattern encompasses hot, humid and long summers, humid and warm monsoon season with occasional tropical cyclonic weather disturbances and very mild winters. The campus, being only 14 years young, is still under development with densening vegetation.

Academics

There are 18 departments offering courses in their respective disciplines.

• Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology
• Department of Veterinary Physiology
• Department of Veterinary Biochemistry
• Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Department of Veterinary Parasitology
• Department of Veterinary Pathology
• Department of Veterinary Microbiology
• Department of Veterinary Public Health
• Department of Animal Nutrition
• Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding
• Department of Livestock Production and Management
• Department of Livestock Products Technology
• Department of Animal Reproduction Gynaecology and Obstetrics
• Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology
• Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ethics and Jurisprudence
• Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine
• Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Agricultural extension
• Department of Avian Production and Management

Deans

• 1994 to 1999: Dr. R. Sabarinathan Nair
• 1999 to August 2008: Dr. G. Butchaiah
• August 2008 to June 2009: Dr. P.V. Sreenivasiah (interim in-charge dean)
• July 2009 onwards: Dr. M. Dominic Savio Jegam (DEAN I/C)
• July 2011 onwards: Dr.S.Thilagar.

Admission procedure and education system

B.V.Sc and A.H.

B.V.Sc and A.H. stands for Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry and is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine equivalent. RAGACOVAS admits 30 students from the Union Territory of Pondicherry through Joint Entrance Test (JET) conducted by Centralized Admission Committee (CENTAC), Government of Pondicherry; 5 seats are allotted through an All-India Common Entrance test conducted by the Veterinary Council of India; 5 seats are allotted to students from Goa, 3 seats for the students from Nagaland and 5 NRI seats admitted through an entrance test conducted by RAGACOVAS. 5 seats are reserved for citizens from Bhutan. Total intake for an academic year is 55 to 60. The education is through a semester system spanning 10 semesters (4.5 years) followed by a compulsory rotatory internship for a period of 6 months.[12]

M.V.Sc.

M.V.Sc. (Master of Veterinary Sciences) admission is available currently for 7 academic specializations and is through an entrance test. The masters programme is offered in the departments of Veterinary Biochemistry, Veterinary pathology, Veterinary Microbiology, Animal Husbandry Extension, Livestock Products Technology,veterinary surgery and radiology,veterinary clinical medicine. In each department two seats are given to the candidates belonging to the union territory of Pondicherry and one seat for the candidates from other states. A fellowship amount or Rs.6000/- is given to the candidates belonging to the state of Pondicherry and the candidates belonging to the other states.[13]

Campus life

Students from all across India study at RAGACOVAS. The "Day Scholars" are mostly students who hail from Pondicherry town; students from other states and districts of Pondicherry board at hostels. The campus has separate hostels for men and women. The education curriculum is strenuous and challenging at RAGACOVAS with six-day working weeks, minimal breaks between semesters, high standards of education and plenty of exams to be passed to earn the degree.

The campus provides indoor and outdoor recreation facilities. The campus has a basketball court, an indoor shuttle badminton court, a well-equipped gymnasium and plans are afoot to develop a playground with an athletic running track.

Bus services operate to transport students from across the town to the campus.

Landmarks

• First Veterinary College in India to adopt the course curriculum advocated by the Veterinary Council of India, as per minimum standards of Veterinary education in India.
• Recognized by the Veterinary Council of India in 1999.
• Masters in Veterinary Science initiated in January, 2005.
• May 24, 2006: Added to the American Veterinary Medical Association list of veterinary colleges of the world.[14]
• Review on landless livestock farming by women in Southern states of India published at FAO [15]

Alumni activities

RAGACOVAS alumni are spread across India and in several corners of the world and form a vibrant alumni network. The alumni interact through a website.[16]

See also

• Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University
• Kerala Veterinary College, Mannuthy
• Madras Veterinary College
• West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences

References

• RAGACOVAS - the official website
• Partnerships in Higher education - Collaboration project that addresses issues that concern livelihood security of livestock dependent Women Self Help Groups
• Laporteragacovas - the alumni website