REMOUNT VETERINARY CORPS (RVC):AN OPPORTUNITY FOR VETS TO SERVE OUR GREAT NATION.
Post no 1007 dt 14 Dec 2018
Compiled by & Shared by — LT. COL (DR. ALOK PALEI) & DR. RK SINGH,9431309542.
Today is the raising day of the remount veterinary corps (RVC) of Indian army.
History of Remounts and Veterinary Corps
The remount depots at Saharanpur, Mona, Babugarh, Sargodha and Ahmednagar held the animals. There was a Remounts Directorate at Army Headquarters under the Director General of Remounts. During the war the functions of the Department were enlarged and the mounting of the whole of the Indian cavalry became its responsibility. It was also made responsible for the provision of camels and draught bullocks and the maintenance of about 70,000 horses. An officer was attached to each command as an adviser to the army and district commander on all remount problems. The veterinary service was responsible for the care of the animals of British units while the Indian units looked after their animals themselves. There was a Director of Veterinary Service at Army Headquarters. For this purpose the country was divided into three circles – northern, central and southern. In the First World War, Veterinary Corps provided vet cover to animals employed in Palestine and Russia. It was in the Second World War that normal weapons such as Rifles, Bayonets, and Carbine Machines were authorised to the Corps. Vet personnel also received training in battle inoculation in addition to technical training.
The Remount & Veterinary Corps (RVC) is one of the oldest formations of Indian Army. The corps was raised in the year 1779 in Bengal and was called the “Stud Department”. In 1920, Army Veterinary Corps (India) was established which was changed to Indian Remount and Veterinary Corps in 1950. However, it was finally named as Remount & Veterinary Corps when Military Farms separated as an independent corps in 1960.
The corps has actively participated in both the World Wars. Post-Independence, it took active part in all the conflicts or wars waged against the sovereignty of India. RVC units were actively involved in Sri Lanka as part of the IPKF. Duringa the Kargil conflict, the corps comprehensively met the operational requirements of animal transport (AT) at far-flung posts. The corps was awarded the Colours by the President of India on December 21, 1989 in recognition of its glorious contributions to Indians Army. In consonance with the duties and role entrusted to it, the corps has the motto: “Pashu Seva Asmakam Dharma” (Service to Animals is our Duty).
Today, RVC has a well-organised infrastructure in the field of equine and canine breeding, rearing, care, management and disease control training. The corps is the source of specialised dogs, horses and mules to be used in Army, Navy, Air Force, para military forces, Police and CISF. The corps prides itself as the largest breeding and training organisation of equines and canines in the country.
The corps has proved its mettle in training of dogs in the specialised fields as tracking, explosive detection, mine detection, avalanche rescue operation, search and rescue, infantry patrolling and guarding. To check out thefts and pilferage, the Army dogs are being trained in Crude Oil Leakage Detection (COLD).
The corps is actively engaged in conduct of several high-tech applied research projects sponsored by the Government of India, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, JALMA Institute of Leprosy and National Institute of Immunology.
The corps boasts of a Central Military Veterinary Laboratory (CMVL) which is the only laboratory of its kind to undertake applied research in relation to animal diseases, disease diagnosis and nutrition in addition to routine diagnostic work. CMVL has been aptly recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture as a national referral Lab. The laboratory is in the process of upgradation to P4 bio-safety level to handle emerging diseases and pathogens. The corps is responsible for veterinary public health throughout the Army and carries out inspection and certification of food products and items of animal origin. Provisioning of veterinary cover to Army animals deployed in inhospitable terrains is the responsibility of RVC.
The RVC detachments have become an integral part of the Indian contingents in the UN Mission Peace Keeping Forces at UNIFIL (Lebanon), UNMIS (Sudan) and UNMEE (Ethiopia and Eritrea). RVC officers and personnel have contributed at the grassroot level in the war-ravaged nations. These personnel have created an everlasting imprint on the minds of local population, providing avenues for economic growth where deployed. The efforts of RVC teams have been appreciated by their respective Force Commander/Sector Commander’s and the Ambassadors of the Indian Missions in these countries.
The corps has been actively involved in the humanitarian programmes. It has organised numerous vet aid camps under operation Sadbhavana in remote villages of the far-flung areas throughout the country. Relentless efforts have received an overwhelming response from the militancy affected area. The corps has been actively participating in the Pacific Partnership Missions with USS to help Tsunami affected coastal countries in Asia. Recently, the RVC team aboard USS Palliieu undertook a mission to seven countries with a multinational team.
The RVC officers and PBOR have won number of medals. These include one Arjuna Award, one Shaurya Chakra, five Sena Medals (Gallantry), two Sena Medals (Distinguished), twelve Ati Vishisht Seva Medals and fifteen Vishisht Seva Medals in addition to one OBE and one MBE to Indian RVC officers during the British rule.
The Corps contributes to the logistic needs of the Armed Forces in the equine and canine fields. The breeding of specialist horses for equestrian sports and training of dogs to meet the emerging security needs has, of late, acquired particular significance.
Role of Remounts and Veterinary Corps
Some of the main functions of Remounts and Veterinary Corps include procurement, rearing, breeding, training of Army dogs for specialised tasks such as guarding and tracking. Prevention, control, treatment of infectious and contagious diseases, inspection of food of animal origin and prevention of zoonotic diseases are other responsibilities of Remounts and Veterinary Corps.
Remounts and Veterinary Corps is one of the major arms of Indian Army. Before the 1914-18 war the Remounts Directorate was responsible for the purchase, rearing and issuing of remounts to the three non-silladar regiments, the British cavalry and other artillery units. It was also responsible for the army transport animals except for their purchase, organisation of the animal resources in the country for war, fitness of the animals so produced for the use of the army, mobilisation of fighting units or of transport, mobilisation of remount units for the field and control and distribution of horses in the units. Some breeding centres were also supervised by the department
Its role includes:-
Specialized and technical mandate related to all Army animals.
Breeding, procurement, rearing, training and issue of trained Army Equines.
Disease diagnosis, investigation & research in emerging diseases & treatment of sick animals.
Maintain liaison with national bodies on matter related to animal health, disease and research.
Inspection of food items of animal origin (meat, fish and poultry) for prevention of zoonotic diseases.
Conduct Military & Technical Training.
Training of Riders and Army Dog Trainers of Army & CAPFs.
Procurement, rearing, breeding, training & issue of Horses & Mules.
Provide Remount Veterinary element to other services & organisations.
Military Veterinary Hospitals in peace and Mobile Field Vet Hosp (MFVH) and Advance Field Vet Hosp (AFVH) in field areas are the Vet treatment centres. Army Dog Units are placed under Operational Wing for the purposes of deployment.
Qualified male veterinary graduates are eligible for the grant of SSC in the rank of Capt in the RVC. Commission is granted initially for five years subject to fulfillment of other conditions. This is extendable for another five years, subject to performance.The candidate should be registered with the Veterinary Council of India/State Vet Council.
The Remount and Veterinary Corps is an administrative and operational branch of the Indian Army, and one of its oldest formations. It is responsible for breeding, rearing and training of all animals used in the army.
The corps was initially raised in Bengal in 1779 as the ‘Stud Department’. The Army Veterinary Corps was officially established on 14 December 1920. The partition in 1947 led to the division of the assets of the Veterinary and Military Farms corporations in a 2:1 ratio for the Indian and Pakistani armies
