Veterinary Council of India (VCI) Election 2024
Candidature of
Dr. Miftahul Islam Barbaruah
Director, Vet Helpline India Pvt Ltd
Note: Dr Babaruah lost VCI election as per the results declared on 9th June 2024.
At Vet Helpline India, we have however, decided to maintain this page as the content of the page can be referred by any stakeholder working towards improvment of Veterinary service delivery in India.
Candidate No.51 of VCI Election 2024
As per the Indian Veterinary Council Act, 1984, the council shall consist of 27 designated officials out of which 25 shall be members, one each ex officio Animal Husbandry Commissioner and Secretary, VCI. Among 25 members, 14 shall be nominated by the Central Government and 11 members shall be elected by the persons enrolled in Indian Veterinary Practitioners Register (IVPR)
Click Here to learn more about Veterinary Council of India Elections with respect to IVC Act 1984 and IVC Rules, 1985 published by Dr Amandeep Singh during 2020.
Dear Veterinarians,
Since 2020, the Veterinary Council of India (VCI) election has witnessed a trend of contesting candidates joining hands before the election to form up to 11 member panels under the leadership of a coordinator to ask for vote collectively. The Indian Veterinary Association is also facilitating the formation of these panels. The election code of conduct is silent on the practice, though it can potentially lead to groupism, preventing free and fair election. The election of like-minded candidates under a leader may also hinder the emergence of collective leadership essential for the professional management of the council. By law, voting for a panel is not mandatory.
It is logical for voter to give priority to excellence instead of alliances.
My appeal to voters:
🌟 Empower Your Vote: Choose Excellence, Not Alliances 🌟
🌟 अपने वोट को सशक्त बनाएं: उत्कृष्टता चुनें, गठबंधन नहीं🌟
As we approach the elections for our esteemed professional statutory body, the Veterinary Council of India (VCI), I encourage you to make an informed and independent choice. With 93 dedicated candidates vying for 11 elected positions, it’s crucial that we select the best and most diverse talents to lead us forward.
While some are forming panels to aggregate votes, I firmly believe in the power of your individual judgment. Our statutory body thrives on a collective leadership of varied expertise and perspectives, which is why your discerning vote is more important than ever.
✅ Evaluate Each Candidate: Consider their contributions, vision, and commitment to our professional community.
✅ Select the Best: Vote for the candidates who you believe will bring the most value, integrity, and innovation to our statutory body.
Together, let’s ensure our Veterinary Council of India remains a beacon of excellence and diversity.
Vote wisely, and let’s shape a future driven by merit and collective strength.
#EmpowerYourVote #ChooseExcellence #ProfessionalIntegrity #DiverseLeadership
Click Here to read Why Elections Matter for VCI
I am offering my candidature at Serial No. 51. This page will help you to evaluate my candidature.
My candidature for the Veterinary Council of India (VCI) election 2024 is an excellent learning opportunity. It is also a new experience for me with ground realities and dynamics of policy making.
I hope to align my advocacy and capacity-building efforts with real veterinary service delivery issues in India.
वीसीआई चुनाव 2024 के लिए मेरी उम्मीदवारी उत्कृष्ट सीखने का अवसर है। जमीनी हकीकत और नीति निर्माण की गतिशीलता के साथ यह मेरे लिए एक नया अनुभव भी है।
मुझे उम्मीद है कि मैं अपनी वकालत और क्षमता निर्माण प्रयासों को भारत में पशु चिकित्सा सेवा वितरण से संबंधित वास्तविक मुद्दों के साथ जोड़ पाऊंगा।
Click Here to review my short profile as Director at Vet Helpline India Pvt Ltd.
I invite you to connect with me through
You can also subscribe to Vet Helpline India’s YouTube channel to view my recorded professional presentations.
You can listen to my published podcast on exploring animal health solutions for farmers.
How do you interpret the following cartoon in the context of veterinary services delivery in India?
Infrastructure, regulation, systems and working environments act as a bridge for delivery of veterinary services. The Veterinary Council of India is one of the key institutions that helps build this bridge.
We have a large veterinary workforce capable of delivering veterinary services but need collective leadership and a strong bridge, as stated above, for efficient delivery of veterinary services in India.
Please check my short video presentation to understand the importance of the Veterinary Council of India as a unique pillar of the Indian veterinary profession.
The presentation highlights the Veterinary Council of India (VCI) as a unique pillar of the veterinary profession in India compared to other pillars. It urges Veterinarians to ask the right questions as they vote for contesting candidates for VCI Elections 2024. It emphasizes the need to rebuild the VCI as an independent (with members having no conflict of interest), transparent, representative, and competent organization.
Please check my problem tree analysis of veterinary service delivery to farm animals in India.
You can also review my presentation on the Restructuring and Strengthening of Veterinary Service Delivery in India.
Click Here to download
I had the opportunity to prepare the following background note during the National Seminar on Restructuring and Strengthening of Veterinary Service Delivery organized by the Indian Veterinary Association on 28 June 2019. The note will help you streamline your thought process on possible innovations in veterinary service delivery in India.
Click Here to download
Effective management always means asking the right question (Robert Heller).
I want to invite you to a quality discussion on various questions affecting the veterinary profession in India. Please help me explore and act on your questions by advocating for an independent, transparent, representative, and competent Veterinary Council of India.
प्रभावी प्रबंधन का अर्थ हमेशा सही प्रश्न पूछना होता है (रॉबर्ट हेलर)।
मैं आपको भारत में पशु चिकित्सा पेशे को प्रभावित करने वाले विभिन्न प्रश्नों पर गुणवत्तापूर्ण चर्चा के लिए मेरे साथ जुड़ने के लिए आमंत्रित करना चाहता हूं। कृपया एक स्वतंत्र, पारदर्शी, प्रतिनिधि और सक्षम भारतीय पशु चिकित्सा परिषद की वकालत करके आपके सवालों का पता लगाने और उन पर कार्रवाई करने की मेरी यात्रा में मेरी मदद करें।
भारत में पशु चिकित्सा पेशे के एक अद्वितीय स्तंभ के रूप में भारतीय पशु चिकित्सा परिषद के महत्व को समझने के लिए कृपया मेरी लघु वीडियो प्रस्तुति देखें Click Here
प्रस्तुति में भारतीय पशु चिकित्सा परिषद (वीसीआई) को अन्य स्तंभों की तुलना में भारत में पशु चिकित्सा पेशे के एक अद्वितीय स्तंभ के रूप में उजागरकिया गया है। यह पशुचिकित्सकों से वीसीआई चुनाव 2024 के लिए उम्मीदवारों को वोट देते समय सही प्रश्न पूछने का आग्रह करता है। यह वीसीआई को एक स्वतंत्र (सदस्यों के हितों का कोई टकराव न हो), पारदर्शी, प्रतिनिधि और सक्षम संगठन के रूप में पुनर्निर्माण करने की आवश्यकता पर जोर देता है।
The workload of public-sector veterinarians in India is increasing. If elected as a member of VCI, I will work to improve the professional work environment of veterinarians. See my mindmap analysis of the issue.
भारत में सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र के पशु चिकित्सकों के बढ़ते कार्यभार के बारे में मेरा विश्लेषण ।
अगर वीसीआई के सदस्य के रूप में चुना गया तो मैं पशु चिकित्सकों के कार्य वातावरण को बेहतर बनाने के लिए काम करूंगा।
The following is my communication for esteemed veterinarians contributing to the veterinary profession’s education and research subsectors.
I tried to justify my candidature and highlighted my 7-point agenda specific to the subsectors.
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Click Here to download the letter in PDF format.
The following is my communication for veterinarians managing clinical practice. The letter includes my views on the Minimum Standards for Veterinary Practice Regulation (MSVPR), the unplanned growth of paraprofessionals, quackery in veterinary practice, and the need for continuous education and skill development for clinical practitioners.
Click Here to download the letter in PDF format.
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My views
Click here to visit the page with my opinion on addressing the issues concerning contractual veterinarians employed under the Mobile Veterinary Unit scheme.
Please find my views on ways to strengthen the Veterinary Council of India.
You can also refer to my article published in 2020 on stregthening of VCI based on the WOAH ( The World Organization for Animal Health ) PVS Evaluation 2018 Click Here.
My views on promises made in connection with the VCI election
Click Here to view promises made by various candidates during the 2020 VCI elections. Many of these issues are also being raised this time. Are all this really within the mandate of VCI?
My Views on Minimum Standard of Veterinary Practice and Minimum Standard for Veterinary Education.
Click Here to check my detailed comments on the Minimum Standard of Veterinary Practice Regulation 2016 proposed by the Veterinary Council of India.
Click Here to download a copy of my presentation on the suggested approach for improving the draft MSVP-2016 regulation. The presentation was delivered during a meeting organized under the aegis of the National Academy of Veterinary Science (India)
My views on quality regulations
Many stakeholders are complaining about the quality of regulations drafted by VCI in recent years. The following is my view on how we can address the quality issues:
We need collective leadership; an institution like VCI is designed for that. Let us elect people who believe in making evidence-based decisions and leading institutions through consultations.
हमें सामूहिक नेतृत्व की आवश्यकता है और वीसीआई जैसी संस्था इसके लिए बनाई गई है। आइए हम ऐसे लोगों को चुनें जो साक्ष्य-आधारित निर्णयलेने में विश्वास करते हैं और परामर्श के माध्यम से नेतृत्व करते हैं।
My views on enforcing regulations to stop quackery
One of the core issues for practicing veterinarians in India is the practice of quackery.
Please refer to my communication for the practicing veterinarians mentioned above to learn my specific work to address this issue.
You can also download my note prepared for President of Indian Veterinary Association on paravet issues.
Click Here to download.
My views on education and research
As the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) consultant, I supported WOAH in conducting a series of Veterinary Workforce Development workshops in Bhutan, Fiji, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Click Here to check a video on the WOAH veterinary workforce development program.
My views on the mushroom growth of new veterinary collages
The mushroom growth of veterinary colleges and para-veterinary training institutions in India concerns veterinarians. How can VCI best judge applications seeking permission and ensure adherence to norms?
My views on the modernization of the registration process
The availability of quality data is a limitation for quality veterinary workforce analysis in India.
As we go for online voting on 8th June 2024, many of my veterinarian colleagues struggle to find their names in the voter list. We have made limited efforts these years to inform veterinarians regarding the need to regularly renew their registration and make renewal/transfer of registration easy.
We need an environment where every registered veterinarian considers council registration/renewal as an achievement and takes pride in being in a regulated profession.
The poster shares my views on the modernization of the council registration process. The registration system is an essential tool that supports planning for the profession’s betterment and protection of public interest.
You can check my recorded presentation on animal health and production-related veterinary workforce analysis in Assam where I have highlighted the limitaiton of data.
My views on women’s participation
The feminisation of veterinary professions is taking place in many countries and though appropriate data is not available, it is likely that India too is also showing the trend.
The above poster share my views on facilitating women’s participation in the veterinary workforce.
We must address barriers and create a more supportive and equitable environment for women veterinarians. VCI must ensure the availability of gender-segregated data of the veterinary workforce for better planning.
I am a signatory of the industry pledge promoted by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) that sets a target to increase women’s workforce participation in India by 10 percent within the next three years.
My views on the representation of veterinarians contributing to areas beyond conventional fields
Click Here to view my article on the scope of private-sector veterinarians in India.
My views on technical independence in veterinary instituions and need for building capacity of veterinarians for organizaitonal leadership
My views on technical independence in veterinary institutions and the need for building the capacity of veterinarians for organizational leadership
I am sharing with you the above screenshot of the report of OIE (now WOAH) PVS Evaluation of India (2018) regarding the evaluation of the competency titled “Technical independence.” The evaluation report recommended a review of technical and administrative structures at DAHD and state AHDs to provide stronger line authority for technical decision-making and a clear technical chain of command.
We need a professional environment where technical knowledge and experience are valued and prioritized. The Veterinary Council of India must ensure that veterinarians lead professional institutions and that their voices are heard and respected in policy-making and administrative decisions.
We also need to enhance the scope of continuing education for veterinarians to cover general and project management areas to help them effectively lead organizations at all levels. At Vet Helpline India, I promote programs for project management-related capacity building for veterinarians in public services.
Click Here to learn more about the program
My views on employability of veterinary graduates in India
Image Source: PCRN
Many within the animal health and livestock industry in India often indicate that they are not getting skilled veterinarian during fresh recruitments. Few suggest that college internships program be linked to industry also. I think Veterinary Council of India should study the problem of unemployability amongst fresh veterinary graduates. We do not know how serious the problem is. Regarding the suggestion of linking college internship to industry or private sector, I understand that colleges follow detailed internship guidelines, and there is flexibility in exploring the benefit of attaching intern students to private service providers and manufacturers. This is common in developed countries. During the BVSc&AH course, colleges can innovatively design more planned private sector immersive activities. Many colleges in India are already taking innovative initiatives for industry engagement and to improve the employability of graduating veterinarians. Component 1A of the World Bank-funded NAHEP, titled Institutional Development Plans (IDP), empowers and supports veterinary colleges in establishing linkages with the industry. As an industry mentor for higher educational institutions under the recently launched the Ministry of Education program related to capacity building on design and entrepreneurship (Click Here to know more ), I hope agriculture and veterinary universities will also apply for the program soon. I hope more and more Animal health and livestock sector companies join the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) of the Government of India. This will permit veterinary students to join government-supported apprenticeship training (NATS scheme) immediately upon graduation. Depending on the extent of the problem of unemployability, and with technology and business growth, animal health and livestock sector-related companies (maybe government departments in the long run) will increasingly rely on tests like Wheel box National Employability Test (WNET) to hire fresh graduates. Such test when tailored to veterinary context may inform stakeholders in the long run (students and policy makers) on areas of improvement.
My views on VCI’s role in facilitating the standardization of occupations related to veterinary domain
My above analysis shows that according to the ISCO-2008, as many as 17 categories of occupations are related directly or indirectly to animal health and production. India’s National Classification of Occupations 2015 lists various animal health and production occupations. However, I believe the occupation mapping in India’s animal health and production context needs improvement. We should discourage the promotion of occupations that have limited market significance and potentially conflict with the work of veterinarians.
A Veterinarian often leads, interacts with, supervises, or supports various related occupations. I believe that VCI should join hands with other institutions and facilitate better classification and standardization of occupations that have links to the veterinary domain or service delivery. Such initiatives can improve services, the work environment, and the overall progress of the animal health and production sector.
