576 graduates to get degrees today at veterinary university convocation

The 15th convocation of the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU), Bidar, will be organised on Friday at 10 a.m. at the university auditorium on Nandinagar campus, Vice-Chancellor K.C. Veeranna said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference at the university’s administrative office, he said that Governor and Chancellor Thaawar Chand Gehlot will preside over the convocation and confer degrees on the graduating students.

Animal Husbandry and Sericulture Minister K. Venkatesh, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of the university, will be present, while Director-General of ICRISAT, Hyderabad, Himanshu Pathak, will deliver the convocation address.

As per information provided by the Vice-Chancellor, a total of 576 students will be awarded degrees at the convocation, including 455 undergraduates, 107 postgraduates and 14 doctoral graduates.

Of them, 94 graduates will receive their degrees in person on the convocation day. As many as 34 meritorious students from undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral streams will be honoured with gold medals. This includes 21 university gold medals and 60 sponsored gold medals.

In the undergraduate category, 17 students will receive 49 gold medals.

Khushi from Shivamogga has secured 16 gold medals, while Devaraj from Bidar has won four medals.

In the postgraduate stream, 15 students will receive 30 gold medals and in the doctoral category, two students will receive two gold medals.

Prof. Veeranna said that the university currently has nine constituent colleges and that the process of establishing a new veterinary college at Puttur has begun.

To enhance farmers income and increase productivity, 10 research and information centres are functioning under the university. With financial support from various agencies, research projects are being undertaken in key areas of veterinary science.

He added that university scientists have secured new research projects on diseases such as brucellosis, rabies, avian influenza, anthrax and other zoonotic infections that significantly affect both human beings and animals. Work on developing anti-venom for snakebite is also in progress.

Registrar P.T. Ramesh, along with members of the management board and academic council, were present at the press meet.