From Vice Chancellor's Desk

It is, in fact, a matter of great honour to be the Vice Chancellor of this University which has the decades old and the most reputed College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry Mathura where, at one time in my life, I wished to pursue my postgraduate education. Building up of a new Institution, though challenging but to revive "the glory of golden past" is additionally more arduous, daunting and even frustrating when an element of inactivity has seeped into the body fabric of an educational Institution. Glorious past of any Institution is a mater of pride for its alumni,

teachers and employees and also a source of strength to travel forward. I have taken up the reins of this University at a time when it is virtually depleted of its technical human resource and laboratory-infrastructure and almost all the buildings of Veterinary College and residential complex are very old and require complete rebuilt. The challenge is greater. To galvanize our inherent strength and potential, with current inadequacies and interface with the State Government and stake-holders, will be the immediate task ahead.

Animal husbandry in the state of Uttar Pradesh has a vital and critical role to play in the economy of the state. Endowed with the largest bovine population among all the states in the country and a population structure in which marginal and landless farmers hold the key to state economic standing, it is the livestock sector alone which can address the poverty and rural upliftment concerns of the state.

Indian agriculture is passing through a crisis with reduced production and productivity in the crop sector and a decelerated growth from 3.2 per cent per annum during eighties to 1.5 per cent in late nineties. The poor performance in crop sector is causing acute distress among farmers, particularly the poor, marginal and landless among them, and the real economic resource for this major section of population (58%) is livestock. Therefore, it is imperative that to revive our economy we must shift our policy approach from crop to other agriculture activity namely livestock which is currently having an annual growth of over 3.5 % and stemming the overall agriculture growth from negative in crop sector to a positive overall growth. Greater attention to livestock will mean better attention in creating a band of excellent human resource which will be pivotal for enhancing the capabilities of the livestock sector. It is here that this specialized University has a crucial role to play.

Everybody should have a mission in life and for the success of mission; honesty, dedication and earnest efforts are essential. Failure is the first step to success and failure gives strength. Bearing this in mind, we all should dedicate our self whole-heartedly for the cause of building up of the University. For making such an effort, we have to make a self introspection, and accept the fact that we all are servants and should serve the cause of the University by reorienting our efforts and goals. I know, challenges are too many; right from human resource to financial, but any how, with the cooperation of my all the employees and students, I am pretty optimistic that we all will establish this Veterinary University on sound footing and provide a very conducive social and academic environment to its all residents and students so that it has a place of pride not only in the country, but abroad as well.

I know most of the newer buildings of Administrative Block, other Colleges, hostel and residential complex are under construction, but their early completion will be ensured in a fixed time frame so that some newer faculty and teaching programmes are introduced from the academic session 2007-08.