West Bengal’s first private veterinary college began operations on Friday, marking an important step towards reducing the shortage of trained professionals in the veterinary sector, according to an official statement.

India currently needs more than 1.5 lakh veterinarians, but the country has only 61,943 trained professionals. This creates a shortfall of nearly 60 per cent, as highlighted in a study published in the Indian Journal of Animal Sciences.

The requirement is expected to rise significantly to 2.84 lakh by 2040, which shows the urgent need for greater private-sector involvement in veterinary education and services in West Bengal.

The livestock sector plays a key role in the state’s economy. It contributes around 3.89 per cent to West Bengal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and ne

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