Panaji: Goa’s long-awaited first veterinary college at Curti has received central govt approval. The letter of permission (LoP) for establishment of the Goa College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, for BVSc and animal husbandry degree programme came from the Union ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying on Tuesday. The department of animal husbandry is set to begin the college from Sep for the academic year 2026-27.“The credit for this goes to dean of the college, Dr Antoine D, and animal husbandry and veterinary services (AVHS) assistant director Dr Harsh Bhatini, and deputy director, Shirishkumar Betkekar,” said AHVS director, Dr Nitin Naik.The approval has been accorded based on the recommendations of the Veterinary Council of India (VCI), which, after inspection and evaluation, observed that the institution meets the minimum requirements in respect of land, infrastructure, veterinary clinical complex (VCC), livestock farm complex (LFC), equipment and other essential facilities as prescribed under the VCI Rules, 2017, and the Minimum Standards of Veterinary Education (MSVE) Regulations, 2016.Infrastructurally, the college is in its last stages of completion, with PWD officials confirming that construction is approximately 90-95% complete.“The project is now in its final phase. Only minor modifications, as required by the VCI, are being addressed,” said principal chief engineer of the public works department Sandeep Chodnekar.A veterinary teaching hospital, essential for clinical training, is also in the pipeline. Authorities have initiated the tendering process for constructing the hospital, which will be attached to the college. “Without a hospital, there is no meaning for a veterinary college. Students need hands-on training,” Chodnekar said.The college is expected to admit students through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), with the academic session tentatively scheduled to begin around Sep, aligning with national timelines. Admissions are likely to commence after NEET results are declared, typically in June.TOI reported in July 2024 that Dr Antoine D, a retired professor from Pondicherry Veterinary College, Puducherry, was appointed as the first dean of the Goa College of Veterinary Science.“He is currently assisting the state in establishing the college’s academic framework. Meanwhile, the Goa Public Service Commission has initiated the process of appointing a permanent dean, with selection reportedly in its final stages,” Naik told TOI.
