Students of vet, agri varsities meet Guv, submit memo on key demands

Student leaders from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Saturday evening at the PAU Sutton House to present key demands concerning veterinary education and agricultural policy.

The Veterinary Students’ Union of GADVASU submitted a memorandum seeking an urgent hike in internship stipend for interns. Currently, interns receive Rs 500 per day — a figure the union described as inadequate given the workload, responsibilities and professional expectations. They highlighted disparities with MBBS and BDS interns in Punjab, as well as veterinary interns in neighbouring states like Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The union reiterated its demand for a revised monthly stipend of Rs 24,310 and noted that despite multiple meetings with senior officials, including the Animal Husbandry and Finance Minister, no concrete action had been taken in this regard.

Simultaneously, student representatives from PAU raised concerns regarding agricultural education and departmental vacancies. They urged the Governor to ensure that agriculture was not excluded as a compulsory subject in schools, while giving reference to his own prior recommendation to integrate agriculture into early education. The delegation also highlighted large number of vacant posts in the Agriculture, Soil, and Horticulture Departments, requesting swift action to fill these positions.

The Governor, who also serves as Chancellor of both universities, gave a patient hearing and assured students that their demands would be addressed. The meeting, facilitated by the Ludhiana administration, marked a unified appeal from both veterinary and agricultural students for policy reforms and institutional support.