Lucknow, Nov 4 (IANS) To strengthen veterinary services in rural areas and increase the number of trained para-veterinary workers, the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, approved a new policy on Monday.

This policy will introduce diploma and certificate courses in animal husbandry and para-veterinary medicine.

Under this initiative, both private and government institutions in Uttar Pradesh will be able to offer these animal husbandry courses, aiming to equip para-veterinary workers with essential skills and training.

The move is expected to significantly improve the quality of veterinary care in rural regions, where access to trained professionals is vital.

Uttar Pradesh Animal Husbandry Minister Dharampal Singh announced at Lok Bhavan that the government is committed to enhancing para-veterinary training in rural areas to address the shortage of veterinarians.

Highlighting the shortage, he stated: "Across India, there are approximately 34,500 veterinarians, while Uttar Pradesh currently has only 8,193. In rural areas, para vets play a vital role in supporting veterinarians with tasks like vaccinations, wound care, first aid, and general animal health care."

To address this gap, the new policy will focus on equipping para-vets with advanced training in vital aspects of animal health services. Singh further asserted that, “This initiative will support para-vets in providing better healthcare to animals, ultimately giving a new direction to the field of animal husbandry in the state and empowering para-vets with essential skills and professional development.”

Animal Husbandry Minister Dharampal Singh stated that the primary institute in the field of animal husbandry in Uttar Pradesh is the Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Veterinary Science University and Go Anusandhan Sansthan in Mathura.

Acharya Narendra Dev Agriculture and Technology University in Kumarganj and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Agriculture and Technology University in Meerut are also operating veterinary colleges.

These universities will now set standards for granting affiliations to private colleges, enabling them to conduct animal husbandry and para-veterinary courses.

The Yogi government established a four-member expert committee led by the Special Secretary of the Animal Husbandry Department to draft this policy.

The committee has prepared a report that serves as the foundation for a comprehensive policy on para-veterinary and animal husbandry courses.

This policy aims to bring consistency by standardising course content, affiliation criteria, and institutional guidelines across the state.

This policy goes beyond government institutions, allowing private colleges to also offer these courses. This initiative aims to boost the number of trained para-vets in rural areas, thereby enhancing veterinary services.