This analysis identifies imbalances in veterinary education capacity across states, highlighting critical shortages and the need for policy adjustments.
Veterinary education in India plays a critical role in strengthening livestock development, rural service delivery, and One Health imperatives. Despite the steady expansion of veterinary colleges, their distribution remains uneven, often misaligned with livestock density and human resource needs. This paper employs a Composite Need Gap Index (NGI) to assess state-wise disparities in veterinary education capacity. The NGI integrates five indicators-Veterinarian Availability Ratio (VAR), Institution Coverage Ratio (ICR), Seat Intensity (SI), College Intensity (CI), and Seats per Node (SPN) to generate a composite ranking of states. Results reveal that eastern and central states such as West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar face acute shortages, while others require selective consolidation and specialization. Findings underscore the importance of evidence-based planning in line with the National Education Policy (NEP 2020). Embedding NGI into policy, accreditation, and funding frameworks can ensure equitable veterinary colleges distribution, enhance educational outcomes, and contribute to sustainable rural development.
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Jayant Kumbhakar (2025) studied this question.
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