LUCKNOW: Emphasising that the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the harmful impact of a consumption-driven culture on humans, animals, and the environment, President Droupadi Murmu stressed the need to organize Animal Health Melas to promote grassroots-level animal care and suggested holding veterinary camps in villages.
While addressing the 11th Convocation of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly on Monday, the President expressed concern over the decreasing visibility of domestic animals in rural areas and emphasised the need to protect and promote livestock wealth as a national responsibility. She said such activities could play a vital role in strengthening public health.
“These animals have historically supported agriculture. While we have embraced technology, essential soil partners like earthworms are vanishing, leading to barren lands. Restoring soil fertility requires collective efforts from farmers, scientists, veterinarians, and citizens,” she said.
The President urged the graduating veterinary doctors to let compassion and empathy guide their work as doctors and researchers, especially in their service to voiceless animals. During the ceremony, the President conferred degrees and medals to meritorious students.
Reflecting on the deep bond between humans and animals, she said the relationship was much like that of a family. “While we now live in a modern, tech-driven world, in earlier times, animals were our tools and companions. Farmers could not progress without them. Animals were once considered our wealth, life without them was unimaginable,” she said, adding that the Indian ethos perceived the presence of the divine in all living beings.
She stated that IVRI, established in 1889, has achieved numerous milestones in its 135-year journey and lauded the research contributions of scientists, along with the patents, designs, and copyrights held by the institute.
The President emphasised that the adage “Prevention is better than cure” applies equally to animal health. Vaccination, she said, plays a vital role in disease prevention, and it is a matter of pride that IVRI has developed several vaccines under the National Animal Disease Control Programme.
Expressing concern over the declining vulture populations, she said it was partly due to chemicals used in veterinary treatments. “Banning such drugs is a commendable step toward vulture conservation, and the scientific community should be appreciated for this effort,” she said.
Stressing the significance of biodiversity conservation for ecological balance, the President said institutions like IVRI should lead by example in enhancing biodiversity. She also emphasized the growing importance of the ‘One Health’ concept, which considers the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment as interconnected. She urged everyone to uphold this principle, deeply rooted in India’s traditions, and to actively work towards animal welfare.
As a premier veterinary institute, IVRI can play a crucial role in the control and prevention of genetic diseases. She urged that the intellectual capacity granted to humans by the divine be used for the welfare of all living beings.
The President noted that technology had the potential to revolutionize veterinary medicine and care, just as it had transformed other sectors. She said veterinary healthcare across the country can be strengthened through technologies like genome editing, embryo transfer, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics.
Institutions like IVRI, she added, should use cutting-edge technologies to develop affordable and indigenous solutions for diagnosing animal diseases and improving nutrition. She also urged the exploration of alternatives to harmful drugs that adversely affect not only animals but also humans and the environment.
Prominent among those present on the occasion were Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.