Fate of 270 veterinary students in limbo

BANGALORE: The careers of 270 veterinary students studying in two government Veterinary Colleges in Shimoga and Hassan were at stake, as the Veterinary Council of India, the regulatory body of veterinary practice in the country, has not yet recognised the institutions.According to official sources, the Council, after several inspections of the two recently- started colleges, found that they failed to meet the required norms in terms of infrastructure and the teaching staff.The colleges functioning at Shimoga and Hassan were started during the JD(S)- BJP coalition government.The Shimoga Veterinary College started its first academic year in 2006-07, and the Hassan college started functioning in the next year with an affiliation to University of Veterinary Sciences, Bidar.The sources said that even though the state government has sanctioned teaching and non-teaching staff numbering over 200 not even a single post has been filled so far.Both the colleges are functioning in temporary structures despite state government despite the government releasing over `100 crore to build necessary infrastructure.Around 150 students were admitted to the Shimoga college and 120 students to Hassan Veterinary college since its inception; teaching faculty were deputed from the University’s Bangalore branch which is against the norms of the Veterinary Council of India (VCI).The state, thus faces a piquant situation as the first batch of 30 students have finished their course in Shimoga college and the Karnataka Chapter of the VCI refused to register them.The graduates who have completed their course and got the degree certificate from the Veterinary University, Bidar cannot practice or seek employment in any institution unless they register with the VCK or VCI.While admitting that state government was bringing pressure on the VCK to accommodate the graduates who passed out from the Shimoga college, its president Dr S M Jayadevappa said that according to the provisions of the VCI-2008 Act it can register only those who comes out from the recognised institutions of the VCI.Graduates from Shimoga college who have managed to get the provisional pass certificate from the University can not practice or seek appointment anywhere as they were not eligible to get them register in VCK.“If the students graduating from the Shimoga Veterinary College, which was not recognised by the VCI, start practicing they could face legal action as in the eyes of law they are nothing but quacks,” a senior official said on the condition of anonymity.To find a lasting solution, Shivaram, secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, had convened a meeting of the vice-chancellor, University of Veterinary Sciences, president of the VCK and others and discussed the issue threadbare; no conclusion arose out of it.Dr Suresh S Honnappagol, informed Express that there should not be any problem for the students.He admitted that the two veterinary colleges failed to get recognition from the VCI.