Concerns over the Closure of the Animal Husbandry Degree and the current situation of the DVM Degree and PVMC

Prof Dr. Muhammad Younas has raised concerns over the closure of the Animal Husbandry Degree (Animal Production Degree) and the current situation of the DVM Degree and PVMC while demanding answers from the vets. Moreover, he has also raised serious questions on the forces behind the opposition of establishing the Pakistan Animal Sceience Council in an open letter. Moreover, he has demanded not to hinder the process of making the Pakistan Animal Science Council.

Dr Muhammad YOUNAS (Convener of PASA) myounas07@gmail.com

Stop Creating Hinderances against the Pakistan Animal Science Council

Open Letter to …….

1. Dr Khalid Mahmood Shouq
2. Dr Muhammad Akram
3. Dr S Murtaza Hassan Andrabi
4. Dr Muhammad Younus Rana
5. Dr Muhammad Afzal
6. Dr Talat Naseer Pasha
7. Dr Muhammad Arshad
8. Dr Alamdar Hussain Malik
9. Dr Muhammad Irshad
10. Dr Zafar Iqbal Randhawa
11. Dr Jassar Aftab

History of DVM, Animal Husbandry Degree and Other new Dgrees – Prof Dr. Muhammad Younas 

Dear All:

May I invite your kind attention to a problem created by some of our friends way back. Now everybody is hiding himself behind the pillar and waiting to happen any miracle.

It’s time that we straighten our route, choose our destination, bring this contentious and pugnacious issue to an end forever, and say good-by to tunnel vision syndrome. If you still close your eyes it will be a crime and the bout will still continue next decades.

Vet profession is sacred and noble. Let the production people play their role. No job is being offered to our graduates since last 30 years. Should they go to India and Israel. They are our graduates as our are DVMs. Shouldn’t they need some accreditation, registration, good standing certificates and employment abroad, etc. etc.

If the production courses are not good then eliminate them from Veterinary scheme of studies and just imagine or even try to produce any Vet w/o the production courses. That’s why you are pushing them for postgraduation after DVM. If it is not possible then why not give them a breathing space.

All possibilities, promises, options, ways, means and routes have been tested/examined but no solution has yielded any tangible results, except the need of a separate council of Pakistan Animal Science Council (PASC). The councils like PMDC, Tibb, Pharmacy and Allied Health Council are available along side of PVMC. These councils available have many things in common. No heaven will fall if Pakistan Animal Science Council (PASC) will be in place or become active for these orphan graduates. As PVMC is a Council for Veterinarian, our five degrees prevailing should have their own a separate Council.

By closing a broad based Animal Husbandry Degree (Oct 4, 2003) you have created a mess and couldn’t wait till the result of 5 Year Unified DVM graduates. After your disowning, we buried that AH degree (Animal Husbandry Degree) and have started five (5) new production degrees on the recommendation of stakeholders and the Industry, which are being granted at ~22 places in the country. BS Poultry Science degree was also refused for registration. We are talking about ~10,000 graduates striving for food safety and food security in the country.

When you faced American and European Council rebuttal, then you realized that our decisions were not on merit. You admitted publicly and made confession that both disciplines are the need of the time. We are not discussing the role of PVMC, nor we are objecting any move by them, we are just safeguarding the future of graduates of five production degrees (as stated above). You do what is best for you, improve your courses, strengthen your linkages, internships, RVO, gap filling exercises, etc. etc. We pray for these steps to be fruitful for the nation.

More degrees are doomed to come if this monopolistic attitude is not changed, or anticompetitive mind set is corrected. This way we will be further going into quagmire.

Pakistan Animal Science Council is at the verge of making but now our Veterinarian friends and experts are hindering for nothing when they have already agreed in the Pakistan Senate. It has to come, it can’t be stopped sooner or later it will be promulgated (IA).

We started our Council on the advice of PVMC Experts (do you need proof?). What will be the harm of PASC to PVMC.

If nothing, then why this contest and fight is kept alive and how long?

For God sake let the production people play their role, I believe that our role is and will be complimentary to each other in the interest of national cause. We have enough role to play in the field of Health and Production as long as we are serious to our objectives and sincere to our beloved nation.

How long you want to see this fight, how long you can keep this fuss on. What benefit you, your council or the nation will get out of it.

It’s my humble SOS call to all who love the animal production as well as Animal Health Profession. After our generation is gone nobody will know what we have been doing in the past except answering to Allah Almighty.

Our Policy is to live and to let live. Hope all will agree with this and so long

WHO CAN ANSWER MY CONCERNS? Any Vet

Dear Colleagues:

Hope all colleagues are doing fine and working hard for the national cause. Before you embark on some of my concerns, please let me clarify my position: I believe that knowledge is power, and it is under progress each second, minute and each day. This expansion is natural, and its growth can’t be stopped. The knowledge is expanding, through education, reading, learning and exploration, these processes are continued all over the globe. New subjects are being explored, and the digging of new ideas and thoughts are continued to bring out new ideas and innovative fields. When new knowledge is uncovered, new degrees are the outcomes.

Knowledge expansion stimulates curiosity, challenges critical thinking, and stimulates intellectual growth. To harness this flow, students show up to benefit from these avenues and they try to harness and learn these in the form of degrees. You can’t confine the knowledge in one discipline, but various disciplines must handle and store these knowledge bales. These broad and comprehensive bales (bundles of various subjects) when put together are called the subjects (courses).

A bunch of courses and particular subjects make a course of study leading to degree program. Every degree has its peculiar narrative, clear cut objectives and makes distinct disciplines to cover these subjects and ultimately it boils down to a specialized outcome and targets (certificate). If anyone thinks with open head & mind, it will be clear to him that rearing of healthy animals (production) is a wide range of subjects since time millennia and then came the dealing of sick and diseased animals (treatment) to save and rescue these animals going off road and getting sick or morbid.

Animal Production and Animal Health

This is the difference of Animal Production and Animal Health. We have been doing one thing at the cost of other but when it was realized, both sectors came on a plain field to participate in national marathon. Both are sacred and both can work complementarily to each other. This is the model of developed nations prevailing on the globe. If you are wearing any color of glasses or shoes of either clan then it’s very difficult to understand this difference, one has to be bare footed to understand these phenomena. This is not a matter of national economy but for this critical thinking, the state of mind needs to be put on the right track.

In the Livestock Sector, production and health are two distinct disciplines You may agree or not the whole world agrees that PRODUCTION (animal husbandry) and HEALTH (treatment) have many avenues to work complimentarily, progress and serve their animals and meet the expectations of the livestock and poultry farmers as well. FAO, UNDP, UNO and all other developed countries work on this model. Now let me express some of my concerns for the want of answers.

MY CONCERNS?

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY DEGREE

• • Who started BSc. (Hons.) Animal Husbandry Degree in 1974. Were they Animal Husbandry Degree graduates?
  • What was the cause and need of starting this degree?
  • It was in place from Aug 1974 to Oct 4, 2003. It produced almost ~ 1385 graduates in 29 years. They were all set, all well placed except a few.
  • Who gave the mandate for closing Animal Husbandry Degree (Animal Production Degree)?
  • Was it the right decision and made by following the right procedures?
  • Did any University requested PVMC to get it done through an illegal procedure.
  • Was this decision done the right one. Was it done for a national cause, were there any consultative processes or consensus behind this move?
  • Moreover, was there any meeting, conference, or workshop to redress their grievances in 29 years (Oct 2003-Jan 2025)?
  • Was there any forum where graduates were called to hear their concern.
  • Was there any effort done to revise this degree (before the current scenario of Jan 2025)
  • We went to court to revise the Animal Husbandry Degree but the matter is in the court for the want of decision till this day. Now why we are being asked or suggested that you revise your Animal Husbandry Degree and bring it for inclusion.
  • Who told a lie to the Chancellor that after merger we will baptize 100 students to grant them DVM degree while the graduates with Animal Husbandry Degree were more than 1385 (1974-2003).

POULTRY

• • After a 5 years DVM degree, it was claimed that one unified degree will do it all (production & health).
  • Then why 4 production degrees were started w/o examining the results of unified (5 yr) graduates.
  • Why BS Poultry Science degree (at TTS) was not included in PVMC despite many requests (Material, articles, discussions, and videos available as a detailed proof).
  • Have you seen the articles, interview, comments, and video of Dr Jassar Aftab on this issue (https://youtu.be/p928hpuHQEg?feature=shared)

SCHEME OF STUDY

• • A simple math question, 4 + 4 is 8 or five (5).
  • One way the scheme of study is under revision, on the other we are being called to bring our degree for inclusion in the Act (under revision).
  • Some people are still confused & thinking about the percentage share of production courses in DVM curricula, now and then.
  • Does the composite degree differentiate that one is production expert or other as treatment expert?
  • Does the current revision taking back DVM to 4 years or it remains as 5 Year program.

PVMC

• • PVMC is patronizing one five years DVM degree program. We pray for its success as it has to work for the country’s graduates. If one degree could have a council (PVMC) then why not a council (PASC) for 5 degrees. Is there any need of stopping Pakistan Animal Science Council (PASC) for these degrees?
  • Can PVMC take care of production, it couldn’t satisfy the DVM faculty and students.
  • Under the current scenario when PVMC has been without any legal body (since 2 years till last week), why fighting, firing and court cases, litigation frauds and embezzlement (as media and ppl are saying). Does these acts match with their council mandate?
  • If legal body of PVMC has come to surface now, we implore for it’s achievements and accomplishments.
  • Who went to court to stop the decision of the degree case (2010). Then why it is being suggested to initiate a degree whose case is still sub-judices since 2002-2025.
  • Two cases in the court were: Dean FAH WP No. 10591/2002 dated 15-6-2002 (Syed Afzal Haider) and PAHA WP No. 15845/2002 dared 19-8-2002 (Mr Arshad Manzoor Butt).
  • Who will benefit from this Council. Let them make it, may be an uphill task.
  • What is the harm of Council to PVMC?
  • Resource constrains is feeling now, how about time wastage for 30 years and policies made by tunnel vision syndrome.
  • The honorable Minister has already said and supported that it is a good thing (council) let it be made, what is the harm to PVMC.
  • The Council will not ask for money rather it will generate income as well as soothing to the graduates, satisfaction to the institutes and comfort to its employees.
  • Should PVMC decide that this council is required or not, or the graduates of five degree who are in want of this Council.
  • HEC has desired to get the degrees verified by their respective councils. Where these production graduates will go if there is no council of them.
  • HEC has allowed us to have its own council.
  • Our graduates need degree attestations, a certificate, certificate of good standing, job security and overseas employment, where they should go.
  • PVMC higher ups encouraged (many times) us to have our Council.
  • MNFS&R has issued no objection, has given permission to us for Council on behalf of IPC and PVMC.

EMPLOYMENTS

• • Who mended the service structure to bar these graduates and writing “not eligible”.
  • When it was written, “not eligible” did any official came to salvage this class of the graduates.
  • What was done in this matter? What was done to rescue these students & graduates?

COURT CASE

• • The case was in the court since 2002 and till 2010 it was on, who messed with it?
  • Did anybody came to scrap our sweat and remove our tears?
  • AH degree case is still in court since 2002, how come an abandon degree with case as sub-judice can be brought to life ignoring five degrees which are being offered at present in 26 institutions of the country.
  • If production degrees are not accredited or patronized by any Council, what will be the fate of the graduates of these degrees.
  • Our five (5) degrees can’t be added in Schedule-I as there is only provision of veterinary science degrees. It may be noted here that veterinary professionals have added production in treatment to justify their coined definition in the Act.
  • As per their skewed definition of Veterinary, the degrees of AS, DS, PS and Fisheries can’t be made part of the Act for registration.

PROFESSIONALS

• • Your Act claims that only Vet professional can be promoted, and can be made Dean of the Faculty, that’s why you have barred & debarred many people to become professor as well as Dean of the Faculties (even if their name included as Faculty/University of Veterinary Science and Animal Sciences).
  • Ironically two faculties can stay together, teach together but other than Vet (Production man) cannot be appointed as Dean. We know why it is so.
  • PVMC Act 1996 says that AH and Vet have equivalent rights but Professor from AH has been debarred to be considered or appointed as Dean. Where is the equivalency and equality?
  • Many examples from the Institutions, DAI, L&DD Dept or some other fields can be cited where qualified faculty were rejected or not promoted or pushed to walls because they were not Vets but you still say that they must join you along with their Animal Husbandry Degree (which is nowhere in Pakistan, neither in the Universities nor in the field).
  • The idea of joining with Animal Husbandry Degree to PVMC is obsolete, as nowadays it doesn’t exist, rather we have now 4-5 degrees (Animal, Dairy, Poultry and Fisheries), not mentioned in the Act, which necessitates the need of a separate Council.
  • MBBS people also study pharmacy as minor, have they merged Pharmacy (D-Pharma) into MBBS? They have their own council.
  • Tib people has their own council.

STILL CONTRADICTIONS

• • PVMC Act preamble claims veterinary medicine and surgery (not production). How come they claim that production is a part of their science.
  • FAO database mentions PVMC domain as exclusively Livestock Health.
  • If Vet and Animal Husbandry are one science, then why you have named Universities and Faculties as Veterinary and Animal Sciences. What does and indicates?

I thank you for your patience and for considering to listen.

Prof Dr Muhammad Younas — Convener PASA (myounas07@gmail.com)

Editor In Chief

Dr. Jassar Aftab is a qualified Veterinarian having expertise in veterinary communication. He is a renowned veterinary Journalist of Pakistan. He is veterinary columnist, veterinary writer and veterinary analyst. He is the author of three books. He has written a number of articles and columns on different topics related to livestock, dairy, poultry, wildlife, fisheries, food security and different aspects of animal sciences and veterinary education.

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