Students of the Veterinary College, Hebbal, affiliated to Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU), Bidar, protested on Thursday against the upcoming Yenepoya Private Veterinary College in Mangaluru.

The students said there are limited job opportunities for veterinarians, particularly outside metro cities..

Karthik S.N., a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Veterinary Science, said, “There are seven government veterinary science colleges in Karnataka. Not a single private college or university teaches Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry. If private colleges and universities are allowed to be established in Karnataka, students admitted under the agriculture quota may be left with fewer job opportunities after graduation.”

Mr. Karthik added, “Students graduating from private colleges will also compete with us for government jobs. At present, around 1,800 posts are vacant in the Veterinary Department. The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) has conducted examinations for only 360 posts, and the recruitment process is yet to be completed.”

Every year, the Karnataka Examinations Authority allocates 100 seats in the Veterinary Sciences College in Bengaluru through the Common Entrance Test (CET) seat matrix. Of these, 50% are reserved for students under the agriculture quota. Other government veterinary colleges in Karnataka are allocated around 70 seats each.

K.P. Ramesh, former principal scientist at ICAR–National Dairy Research Institute and currently a consultant for the Yenepoya Private Veterinary College in Bengaluru, denied the allegations. He said, “The college is still in the proposal stage. We have obtained permission from the Veterinary Council of India (VCI) to establish the college. There are several requirements prescribed by the VCI that must be met to secure final approval. There is a shortage of veterinarians in the industry and a heavy workload for the available workforce. In such a situation, how can graduates from private colleges take away jobs?”

He added that Maharashtra has been allotted four private veterinary colleges this year, while Karnataka has been allotted one.

Mr. Ramesh clarified that 80 seats would be allocated by the VCI, of which 15 would be reserved for the VCI and four for NRIs. The remaining 63 seats would be divided between the State government quota and the management quota.