1.1 Historical background:
It had been periodically felt that very little efforts have been made to
promote live stock production and control of diseases, besides research and
extension under Sub Mountain, temperate and sub- temperate conditions of
Himachal Pradesh. There was also a general consensus that a tremendous scope
for livestock development including education and research, besides
conservation of natural germplasm of typical species like Yaks, Gaddi sheep,
goats, hill cattle and a variety of wild species of fauna (animals and birds),
which otherwise could not be better looked after by the veterinarians trained
in other parts of the country. The gap was also very wide in livestock
resources available in the State vis-à-vis the qualified human resources to
provide efficient veterinary health cover. The HPKV constituted an expert
committee in consultation with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for
assessing the establishment of a Veterinary institution. The committee
consisted of Deputy Director General (Animal Science), ICAR; Vice- Chancellor,
HPKV, Director, Animal Husbandry, Govt. of H.P.; Dean, College of Veterinary
Sciences, HAU, Hissar; Dean College of Veterinary Sciences, GB Pant university
of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Director, NDRI, Karnal; Dr. S.P.
Arora, Professor of Eminence; Dr. A.C. Mathew, ADG ICAR; Dr. B.S. Gill, Special
Director of Research (Animal Sciences) PAU, Ludhiana, Dr. O.P. Awasthi, Dean,
C.O.A. HPKV and Dr. M.P. Narang, Head Department of Animal Production,
HPKV. This committee held its meeting on 19th December, 1985 at
HPKV, Palampur and recommended the establishment of a Veterinary College at
Palampur as a model Veterinary College for hilly regions of the country by
appreciating the available infrastructure in the erstwhile department of Animal
production of the university. Thus the College of Veterinary and Animal
Sciences (COVAS) was established by the State Government in 1986 and it was
duly accredited by the ICAR and approved by the Board of Management of the
University with the following six composite departments:
1.
Animal
Production
2.
Anatomy
and Histology
3.
Veterinary
Physiology and Pharmacology
4.
Veterinary
Microbiology, Pathology and Parasitology
5.
Veterinary
Surgery and Gynaecology
6.
Veterinary
Medicine
1.2 Institutional growth:
With
the development of teaching and research facilities and as per the
recommendation of the Veterinary Council of India, the minimum standards of
veterinary education (MSVE, 2016) the following 16 departments and 2 services
units were created.
1.2.1 Teaching Departments:
1. Veterinary
Anatomy
2. Veterinary
Physiology & Biochemistry
3. Veterinary
Pharmacology and Toxicology
4. Veterinary
Parasitology
5. Veterinary
Microbiology
6. Veterinary
Pathology
7. Veterinary
Public Health & Epidemiology
8. Animal
Nutrition
9. Animal Breeding and Genetics
10. Livestock Production and
Management
11. Veterinary Gynaecology and
Obstetrics
12. Veterinary Surgery and
Radiology
13. Veterinary Clinical
Medicine
14. Livestock Product
Technology
15. Veterinary and Animal
Husbandry Extension Education.
16. Department of Fisheries
1.2.2 Service Units:
1. Teaching Veterinary
Clinical Complex
2. Livestock Farm
Complex
Post
Graduation is offered in the following disciplines:
M.V.Sc
1. Veterinary Anatomy and Histology
2. Veterinary Physiology & Biochemistry
3. Veterinary Parasitology
4. Veterinary Microbiology
5. Veterinary Pathology
6. Animal Nutrition
7. Veterinary Gynaecology
8. Veterinary Surgery
9. Veterinary Clinical Medicine
10. Veterinary Public Health
11. Animal Breeding & Genetics
12. Veterinary Pharmacology & Toxicology
Ph.D.
1. Animal Nutrition
2. Animal Breeding & Genetics
3. Veterinary Surgery & Radiology
4. Veterinary Anatomy & Histology
5. Veterinary Microbiology
6. Veterinary Clinical Medicine