An Ordinance first and an Act after: the Wayanad-headquartered university for Kerala's animal sciences

Background

The Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University came into existence on 14th June, 2010 under Ordinance number 44/2010 of the Government of Kerala, and Act 3/2011 followed it. It is a public funded university with headquarters at Pookode in Wayanad, and the powers of the university rest with its authorities, which are the Board of Management and the Management Council. Two faculties, Veterinary Sciences and Dairy Technology, were already in place, and the university began a Faculty of Poultry Science to push education and enterprise in the poultry sector. Eight constituent colleges and an Academic Staff College now carry its academic, research and extension work, where there were three colleges at the start. Student numbers have gone from fewer than 600 to around 3000, with an annual intake of 600 across 40 academic programmes, distance learning included. Five laboratories of the university hold NABL accreditation, and research stations, farms and extension centres of its own work in different parts of Kerala. It brings out the Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, and has training and academic tie-ups with institutions such as the University of Edinburgh and the University of Western Australia.