Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa is set to enter a new phase in veterinary education with its first College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences scheduled to commence classes on November 16 for the academic year 2026-27.
The institution will begin its academic journey with 40 students in its first undergraduate batch, comprising 26 girls and 14 boys. All candidates have secured admission after qualifying the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
According to Dean Rajkumar Solomon, the Bachelor of Veterinary Science programme will span five-and-a-half years, including four-and-a-half years of classroom and practical instruction, followed by a compulsory one-year internship.
A notable feature of the new institution is that its first four batches will comprise exclusively students from Goa, despite the provision for a 50 per cent All India quota in veterinary colleges.
The college is also working towards providing students with practical training beyond the classroom. Arrangements are being developed through Memorandums of Understanding with institutions across the country to facilitate internship opportunities in veterinary hospitals, livestock farms, dairy plants, meat-processing facilities and zoos.
The institution has also made progress in strengthening its academic workforce. The Goa Public Service Commission has undertaken recruitment for 29 teaching and other academic positions, with most of the posts, including those of associate professors, assistant professors and librarian, filled.
Initially, academic activities will be conducted at the 16-acre campus at Curti. Another 25 acres at Codar are earmarked for further infrastructure, including animal sheds, fodder facilities and other requirements for hands-on veterinary training.
Beyond conventional veterinary education, the college plans to explore emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, tele-veterinary services, biotechnology, veterinary pharmaceuticals and clinical research. Collaboration with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries is also expected to create additional avenues for students.
The institution further aims to promote specialised fields such as One Health, Pashu Ayurveda, climate-resilient livestock management and entrepreneurship in the pet care and animal husbandry sectors.
With its maiden academic session, Goa’s first veterinary college is expected to expand opportunities for students interested in animal healthcare while strengthening the State’s veterinary education and livestock development ecosystem.
