Role of Veterinarians & Livestock Sector for “Viksit Bharat@2047”
YUVARAJ D.G.
MVSc Scholar
Dept. of veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology
Veterinary college Hassan, Karnataka, India
Abstract
“Viksit Bharat @2047” is the roadmap to making India a completely developed country by 2047.As we are heading towards the 100 years of Independence in 2047, our current government aims to make India a completely developed country by 2047. Food security and public health are the need of the hour with India being a highest populated country in the world, so the role of Veterinarians and Livestock sector becomes vital and vision of “Viksit Bharat@2047” cannot be realized without the help of Veterinarians and Livestock sector. Veterinarians will not only play a major role in achieving animal welfare but will also be responsible for protecting public health. India having over 536.76 million livestock in the country a revenue of Rs 12,27,766 crore comes from the Livestock sector alone. In the following article we will look at the various roles veterinarians and Livestock sector will play in achieving the vision of “Viksit Bharat@2047”.
Keywords: Livestock, Food security, Public-health, Veterinarian, Viksit Bharat
Introduction
One of the main criteria to consider a country as Developed is “High quality of life” which includes every individual’s physical, mental and social wellbeing. Veterinarians play a very important role in this as they are the first line of defense against animal diseases that can affect people. We as a generation have seen COVID-19 devastating the lives of lakhs of people around the world. World can never be the same as it was before COVID – 19 pandemics hit the world. It is estimated that around 4,81,000 Indians died from the pandemic. COVID- 19 having its origins from the Bats shows how an invisible virus can disrupt the functions of the entire world. So, public health is of enormous importance in the development of a country.
The economy also plays a very important role in the development of a country. Livestock plays a very important role in the Indian economy as about 20.5 million people depend on livestock for their livelihood. India has huge livestock resources and Livestock sector alone contributes 4.11% GDP and 25.6% of total Agriculture GDP. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the key indicator of a country’s economic health and performance and is especially important for India as it is a developing country.
Role of Veterinarians for “Viksit Bharat@2047”
A veterinarian is a medical professional who cares for and studies animals. There are many important functions a veterinarian can perform and few of them are listed as below:
- Diagnosing and treating illnesses: Veterinarians diagnose illnesses, treat wounds, perform surgery, and prescribe medications for animals. We as a generation live with pets such as Cats, dogs etc. Our pets have a very emotional bond with us. We want to provide our paw buddies with the same amount of care with which we treat humans. Veterinarians play a very important role in taking care of our animal buddies working towards a Viksit Bharat where animals are treated with the same care as humans if not more.
- Preventing disease: Veterinarians also help in preventing disease and other health problems in animals by providing vaccinations, nutrition, and parasitic control. Rabies is one of the most feared viral diseases spreading from animal origin to Humans. Vaccination plays a very important role in eradicating this disease completely from the nation.
- Research: Veterinarians play a very important role in research, which can contribute to the common body of medical knowledge. Research on medications and treatment, possible pandemics, epidemics that originate and spread through animals or birds.
- Environmental protection: We are living in a society where we are completely dependent on the environment we live in. Any problems in the environment directly effects the human population which in turn effects the development of a country. Veterinarians play a role in environmental protection by analyzing and preventing diseases. Preventing a possible pandemic means improving the quality of life for every individual in the country, the very essence of Viksit Bharat.
- Food safety: Veterinarians play a role in food safety which is a very important aspect of human health. The consumption of products of animal origin has increased drastically in the past decades. As the consumption of animal products has increased there is also increase in the need for the food safety as there are many diseases that are spreading through food.
- Public health: Veterinarians play a role in public health by preventing the spread of diseases from animals to humans. When we live with animals in such close proximity there are also risks of spreading diseases from animals to humans, so the public health sector plays a very important role. Public health professionals work towards preventing disease outbreaks and the spread of disease through vaccination. They also educate the public about habits that can lead to poor health.
- Animal Birth Control: The population of stray dogs has been increasing in the past few decades and this results in death of puppies due to hunger and road accidents. Animal Birth control is very important in India as it is a humane way to reduce the population of stray dogs and reduce the risk of rabies among the human population. Veterinarians are responsible for working towards animal birth control through spaying of adult stray dogs which will improve the quality of life of stray dogs.
Role of Livestock sector for “Viksit Bharat@2047”
Livestock are domesticated animals raised in farmlands or agricultural settings to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption of animal origin. There are many animals such as cows, sheep, etc. that are reared and then traded as a source of income. The livestock sector plays many important roles in economy and society and some of them are listed as follows :
- Food security : With over 1.45 billion to feed and with a restricted amount of land, food security is a major issue in the development of a country. The Indian population requires nutrition rich food to maintain a physically healthy society. Livestock provides a rich source of protein and nutrition through meat, eggs, and milk to our population. As the population increases livestock sector will have major role in providing nutritious food to the population.
- Employment and income : Especially in rural areas, Livestock has been providing employment and livelihoods for many people. Livestock provides livelihood to two-third of rural community. It also provides employment to about 8.8 % of the population in India. Livestock is a source of regular income from the sale of milk, eggs, meat, and sporadic income from the sale of live animals, hides, and wool. With the increase in population, employment generation will be challenging and Livestock sector will play a major role in employment generation.
- Raw materials : Hides, skins, blood, bone, and fat that are obtained from livestock are used as raw materials in many industries.
- Reduced risk in farming : Livestock reduce the risks associated with crop failures when used in mixed farming systems. When there is crop failures due to many reasons such as climate change, farmers can rely on the income obtained from Livestock rearing.
- Social and cultural importance : Since time immemorial, Livestock have been playing a major role in many religious ceremonies and other social institutions. There are the essence of Indian culture.
- Sustainable development : Livestock have been contributing to sustainable farming and economic stability for resource-poor farmers. The excretory waste such as cow dung, cow urine is being used in agriculture as organic fertilizers. Livestock support organic agricultural practices which promotes the soil health and also produces healthy crops.
Conclusion
With the increasing population and the need to provide high quality life for all in the nation, Liverstock sector and veterinarians are going to play a major role in the development of the country. For maintaining the physical, mental and social wellbeing of every individual it is important to live in an environment which is disease free, eat healthy nutritious food, live in harmony with all the animals and birds in the nature. In this aspect, it is always important to constantly check for diseases spreading among the animal and bird population and analyze the impact it can have on both the environment and human life; hence veterinarians and Livestock sector is going to play a major role in achieving “Viksit Bharat@2047”. Lot of future research needs to be done in the veterinary field and Livestock sector to continuously improve lives all the life forms.
References:
Atul rawal, 2024, Short and Long Essay on Viksit Bharat for Students
DH Web Desk, 04 March 2024, Explained | What is ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ and what does it aim to achieve?
FAO, 2024, Livestock and food security
Glamac.com/blog/the-evolving-role-of-veterinarians-in-animal-welfare / Pg.no: 1-3
Kumar, N., 2024. VikSit Bharat 2047: Navigating India’s Development Odyssey (No. 7ac4e). Center for Open Science.
