EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW OF DR.U.C. SHARMA (PRESIDENT OF IVA & MEMBER OF VCI ) WITH PASHUDHAN PRAHAREE.
Pashudhan Praharee, 15 October 2020
At Pashudhan Praharee we have always endeavoured to bring forth to our readers the view of our Apex Professional body on various policies and programs while highlighting the issues of Veterinary profession. To this effect we are presenting here an interview of Dr.Umesh Chandra Sharma, President, Indian Veterinary Association (IVA) & Member of Veterinary Council of India (VCI) .
Following is the excerpts from the interview: (For Brevity, Pashudhan Praharee will be written as PP and Dr Umesh Chandra Sharma as Dr.U.C.Sharma)
The Veterinary Council of India (VCI) is the most apex body of Indian Veterinary Medicine constituted by the Government of India. The work of this institution is to maintain the standards of excellent level of undergraduate education in the veterinary education system in India, as well as to protect the functioning of Indian veterinarians and all their professional interests and to give suggestions to the government from time to time. Its election was just concluded in the month of August. It was for the first time in the history of the country that all the registered veterinarians in the country selected the 11 members of the VCI using their right to vote through online platforms. Apart from these members, 16 members will be nominated and they will form the body of VCI.
Dr. Umesh Chandra Sharma is the name of the person who emerged as the leading leader in this election and 10 of the 11 members who won the election under his leadership. Dr. Sharma is the President of the Indian Veterinary Association and has also been the President of the Veterinary Council of India from 2014 to 2017.
Dr. Umesh Chandra Sharma is originally from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He received his Veterinary degree from Mau Veterinary College in 1997. He was also a member of ICAR between 2015 and 2018. Dr. Sharma is also currently the President of the Provincial Gazetted Veterinarian Association, Madhya Pradesh. Dr. Sharma is in the selection committee of VC of Veterinary University, Kerala and Rajasthan. He has also been a former member of Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, Jabalpur. He has served as Technical Advisor to Animal Husbandry Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh from 2005 to 2010. Apart from this, Dr. Sharma is voluntarily associated with many social organizations of the country.
Following is the excerpt from the interview of Dr. Umesh Chandra Sharma by Chief Editor of ‘Pashudhan Praharee’Dr. Rajesh Kumar Singh …………………….
Hello Sir, First of all, congratulations to your team led by you, who got unprecedented victory on the basis of previous work done by you in the recent election of VCI. Around two months have passed since the election. All the vet fraternity of the country is eyeing you and your entire team. All the veterinarians of the country have a lot of expectations from you and they have a lot of questions which I will put before you one by one and I hope that our veterinary doctors will be satisfied with your answer.
PP-
During the campaigning for VCI election, majority of veterinarians raised the issue that to make the services by veterinarians accessible at ground level, a minimum standard of veterinary practice regulation should be implemented in entire nation .What is your opinion about it?
Dr. U.C.Sharma-
Earlier, when I was also the President of VCI, I put it on the main agenda in 2014 and this time it has also been in the manifesto of us. This Minimum Standard of Veterinary Practice Regulation (MSVPR), also the main mandate of VCI, in this last tenure, we worked hard and called all the stake holders of all the states of the country and met with them and in 2016 we made a complete draft and sent it to the Government of India but there is some legal screw in it that it has to be passed by the state assembly at the state level only then we can bind it to that state to impose this rule in that state. I hope to complete this work within the next 6 months. Our main objective is that all veterinarians and livestock, animals should be provided with the best veterinary services. To achieve this goal, it is very important to put rules in place.
PP-
Sir, veterinarians working in government sector in different states are asking government to implement and execute one nation one pay, one designation. What are your plans or future course of action regarding the same?
Dr. U.Sharma-
These three tasks were our priority. In the last term also, we had written to the government in the last term to make 3 committees (One Nation One Pay, One Nation One Designation and NPA). For this, we will prepare a draft by calling, meeting, deliberating and collecting all the information of all the states across the country in whatever veterinary state level organization of the country and whoever is the stakeholder, and We will try to pass that draft by making a committee and requesting the government. The finished veterinary service comes under the state, it becomes the matter of the state subject, so the consent of that state is also mandatory to implement it at the state level.
PP-
What is your opinion on NPA as is being demanded by veterinarians of state government to be given at par with central government employees?
Dr. U.C.Sharma-
This is a complex issue that the central government has already issued advisory to all states in this regard to give Non Practice Allowance (NPA) to veterinarians, but the state governments have a different view in this regard. Some state governments agree on this and some state governments are not ready. Even veterinarians have a contradiction in this. Some veterinarians want them to get NPAs. Some veterinarians want them not to get NPAs because they practice. Therefore, further action will be taken on this issue in consultation with all the State Veterinary Services Association soon.
PP-
Sir as promised by you during election campaigning that you would try to curb the difficulties associated with the process of registration renewal and its transfer from one state to another and make the whole procedure less cumbersome within 6 months by various possible ways which includes primarily to make it online .What is your progress in that direction?
Dr. U.Sharma-
I would like to inform through your journal to the Veterinarians of the country that in the last tenure we had done 90% of the work of updating the software for online registration, online registration renewal and no objection certificate. This task will be completed within 3 months of the formation of the new team of VCI. Online registration has started in some states of the country like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat etc.
PP-
A grievance redressal cell and an associated legal cell to solve the grievances of veterinarians and to help them in various matters related to Veterinary profession as well as in veterolegal cases would be a basic requirement in current scenario for more than 60000 registered veterinary doctors
Dr. U.Sharma-
This is a very serious issue. We also kept this in our election manifesto. We want a legal cell to be set up at the country level by the VCI to listen to veterolegal problems of veterinarians. Soon our new committee will prepare a draft after a meeting with the presidents of all the veterinary associations of the states and the registrars of the Veterinary Councils of the states and this work will be done soon.
PP-
Sir quackery is a known, serious, punishable and ever increasing offense as well as a big problem with veterinary profession. How do you plan to fight the problem.
Dr. U.C.Sharma-
Absolutely, it is not only the problem of animal husbandry but also the quackery problem is the highest in the medical field. We need to think about it, whom do we speak Quake. Those practitioners who are not registered under the mandate of our Veterinary Council of India from VCI or from the State Veterinary Council will come under this purview. There is a provision to set up the Disciplinary Committee by the State Veterinary Council at the state level to solve this problem, this committee of each state will have to empower us further. The contribution of the people of the society is also important in removing this evil behavior. We need to bring public awareness in this regard, which we can do through newspapers, TV channels, newspapers and magazines such as your livestock watchdog. At the Central Government level, advisory is also given to all states from time to time. At present, many NGOs are also working in the field of animal husbandry, they are working to serve cattlemen from their own level, but even those cattlemen do not know who is Gopal, who is a Paravet, Who is the AI worker and who is the vet. Therefore, we have to bring public awareness in this regard. Along with this, it is our duty as well as common people to put a complaint immediately if an unregistered practitioner practices. In the coming time, we will prepare a proposal after meeting with the Discipline Committee of the State Veterinary Council and implement it as an effective policy.
PP-
If we have separate central administrative service cadre in engineering, medical etc. like Indian Engineering Services, Indian Medical Services then why not Indian Veterinary Services for vets, how serious you are on this issue ? Or where do you rate this issue on the priority list of IVA.
Dr. U.C.Sharma-
We all know that some years ago our Animal Husbandry Department was with Agriculture in Central Government and also Animal Husbandry Department was with Agriculture in many states. But in the center also it has become a separate independent department and each state also has its own independent department of animal husbandry. We also know that the Indian Council of Veterinary Research (ICVR) has been formed and is running at the level of government. As far as the Indian Veterinary Service (IVS) is concerned, our new team will form a committee on this issue very soon and further strategy will be decided by talking to the Veterinary Council and the government of all the states on this issue.
PP-Sir, person from no other profession can do justice to the post of Director, Animal Husbandry as can a veterinarian. Have you any plans to find solution to this problem as few states still have the provision for ex cadre to be appointed as director A.H.
Dr. U. Sharma-
In almost 20 states in the country, the post of Veterinary Director is with the veterinarians and 9 to 10 states where the Director of Animal Husbandry Department of that state is non-Vet. According to the rules of VCI, the post of Animal Husbandry Director of any state should be from the Veterinary cadre. Advisory has already been issued by the government in this regard and in the coming time, advisory will be issued by VCI to the respective states.
PP-
As against average number of fresh graduates in Veterinary sciences ranging from 3500 to 4000 annually, hardly 750 are absorbed in various government services which is leading to increasing unemployment day by day. What are your plans to provide jobs to these unemployed veterinarians.
Dr. U.C.Sharma-
At the time of my last tenure there was no policy to open private Veterinary Colleges in the country. We have proposed to the government that before any new veterinary college is opened, firstly the need assessment should be done in that state. In the need assessment, it is given by survey that how many livestock are there in that state and how many veterinarians are passing each year and how many veterinarians are needed. In 1976, a committee reported that there should be one veterinarian on 5,000 livestock in the country. But in today’s context, this figure has changed a lot. Sometimes the opening of new colleges is also politically motivated but at the ground level it does not last long as we have seen many engineering colleges open but closed after a few years. If such a need assessment proposal comes out then it seems clear that there is no need to open the new Veterinary College.
If we implement the Minimum Standards of Veterinary Practices, then it will benefit that only registered Veterinarians will be able to serve in every veterinary hospital in the country and the government will also be obliged in that veterinary hospital for the restoration of veterinarians. In addition, we will write to all state governments for PSC every year.
PP-
About 25 percent of vets out of total vets in India, are private Veterinary practitioners devoid of any financial help from government nor do banks agree easily to help them with financial assistance. Sir how will you increase the job opportunity, self employment opportunities as well as remuneration of such veterinarians.
Dr.U.C.Sharma-
We had issued our manifesto separately for the private Veterinary Practitioner. If we look fifteen-twenty years ago, at that time no one even thought of doing private practice, but today the time has changed. Today, especially the dog practitioners are doing very well in big cities and small towns and have taken their profession far ahead. He has great respect and prestige in the society. Very good pet hospitals are opening in cities. We will urge the government to make provision for purchasing instruments by bank loans and subsidies to such private veterinarians who want to get into the industry. Also, whatever private veterinarians in municipal corporations and bodies want to open their hospitals or want to open clinics, we will strive to provide them as much facility as possible at government level. We have also planned that till now only government veterinarians were given training in (CVE) training but in the coming time private veterinarians will also be included in this and they will also be assisted in Vetero-legal cases. We will also demand from the government that those who want to become private veterinary entrepreneurs such as in poultry farming or in dairy, food processing, they should be provided special facilities by the government.
PP-Sir we want to know if there has been any progress in the proposal to build a guest house and a training centre in New Delhi as promised by you during your election campaigning?
Dr.U.C.Sharma-
I am happy to tell all the veterinarians through you that the Hon’ble Prime Minister has given us 2 acres of land in Delhi from the Cabinet for this work. We will do Bhoomi Pujan as soon as our new team is formed and we are confident that this task will be completed in our tenure.
PP-
Sir How and uptill when do you plan to put forth the proposal to bring the stipend of Veterinary graduates, post graduates as well as doctorates at par with their medical contemporaries.
Dr.U.C.Sharma-
In the year 2016, Dr. Sri Sanjeev Balyanji was present in Nagpur Alumni Association program in Nagpur along with His Holiness Mohan Bhagwat ji. I talked to Dr. Sanjeev Balyan ji on these issues and he assured that he will keep this matter in the cabinet and we are confident that in the coming time it will get some positive results soon.
PP-
Veterinarians of India are not less than those in other countries in any respect. They just lack the right and strong structure and foundation at grassroot level. Hitherto, superspecialized courses in various important subjects are yet to be started in veterinary science course curriculum and this is vital to bring the standard of Veterinary education at par with that in other nations. Can this dream to provide education on such courses via virtual platform be made a truth in this post covid state.
Dr. U.C.Sharma-
We know that VCI so far only looks at undergraduate courses. Just as there is super specialization in medical, in the same way we have a proposal ready for skill up gradation in Veterinary and very soon, we will give it a concrete shape. Skill up-gradation through Continuing Veterinary Education is very important for veterinarians working in our field Veterinarians and Research Institutes.
PP-
Sir, apropos your prior announcement to give away an award to most capable veterinarian in the name of Dr.C.M.Singh sir, the Bheeshm Pitamah of Veterinary profession, can we expect it to be given on the eve of next world Veterinary day?
Dr. U.C.Sharma-
We had approved this proposal in our last tenure in the year 2016. Honorable Prime Minister also gave us good luck for this work. The Dr. CM Singh Award will be announced on the upcoming World Veterinary Day April 2021. The nomination process for this award will be started in December of this year. Through your magazine, we want to tell all the respected veterinarians of the country that the statue of Dr. CM Singh will be installed in the premises of our proposed VCI building in Delhi.
PP-
Sir most of the veterinarians posted in various veterinary colleges of India are yet to get the benefit of 7th pay commission, timely promotion as well as NPA. What do you plan to solve this problem?
Dr.U.C.Sharma-
In the coming times, we will consult the representatives of the veterinarians working in various Veterinary Universities in the country and will reach out to the government and try to resolve it as soon as possible.
PP-
Sir it is the demand of Veterinarians at pan India level since long to have Indian Council of Veterinary Research ICVR. Can it see the light of the day during your tenure?
Dr.U.C.Sharma-
As soon as this government was formed at the center, they immediately accepted the proposal of our earlier era and formed a committee for the Indian Council for Veterinary Research ICVR, as soon as the report of the committee comes, we will work according to that and plan strategy ahead.
PP-
What message would you like to send to all the veterinarians of the country?
Dr.U.C.Sharma-
My request to all the vets of the country, that our commitment, for which we have a degree, we should do that work honestly. Constantly try to establish excellent standards of this profession while doing justice to your profession. We should constantly strive to learn modern technology in our profession. We would like all of us to take our profession to the heights and forget all differences and stand for one goal and all organizations should come together on one platform to take their demands to the State Governments and Central Government. The goal of all of us is to serve the country through our excellent works so that the economic upliftment of the livestock can be done. All of us veterinarians are playing an important role in the economic development of the country, especially in restoring food security in the country. With our role in animal health and livestock development, we are trying to double the income of farmers. For this, we are grateful to all the veterinarians of the country who are engaged in serving the country despite their limited resources.
For this, we are obliged to our veterinarians who, despite limited resources, are committed to serve the nation . Further I express my sincere gratitude to the team pashudhan Praharee as you gave me an opportunity to share my message, opinion and thoughts with our Veterinary fraternity . I congratulate Pashudhan Praharee for its work of excellence for development and well being of livestock with the same strength,zeal and sincerity and my best wishes to team Pashudhan PRAHAREE in all its future endevours.
Once again a lot of thanks to you all.
PP-
Thanks a lot sir, we all hope and wish you good luck as tha the team VCI reaches the zenith of success under your leadership
