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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline DECEMBER 26, 2025 | The Indian Eye 24

Ravi Murarka’s Jaipur and Mumbai Visit Advances Veterinary

Education, Public Health and Global Collaboration

OUR BUREAU

Jaipur / Mumbai
r. Ravi Murarka, President
of the American Association
Dof Veterinarians of Indian
Origin (AAVIO) and President of
PARAM–Philadelphia Rajasthan
Mandal, has concluded a wide-rang-
ing professional and community-fo-
cused visit to Jaipur and Mumbai that
strengthened veterinary education,
public health initiatives and interna- ucation and Research (PGIVER),
tional collaboration. Jaipur, where he interacted with
In Jaipur, Dr. Murarka par- faculty members and students and
ticipated in Pravasi Rajasthan Di- delivered a keynote lecture on global
vas, where he met Rajasthan Chief opportunities in veterinary medicine.
Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Deputy In addition, he actively participated
Chief Minister Rajmata Diya Ku- in Mission Rabies Jaipur, a major
mari and several cabinet ministers. public health initiative supported by
During these interactions, he formal- Anil Agarwal of the Vedanta Group,
ly invited the Chief Minister and the underscoring the importance of pub-
Deputy Chief Minister to attend the lic–private partnerships in disease
19th Bharatiya Temple Gangaur Fes- prevention and community health.
tival, scheduled to be held in Phila- Following consultations with vet-
delphia on March 14, 2026. erinary university authorities and an-
The Jaipur visit also included de- imal welfare stakeholders, Dr. Mu-
tailed discussions with senior govern- rarka proposed the development of
ment officials and academic leaders a Jaipur-based pilot project focused
on expanding veterinary education, on the mass sterilization and vacci- spaces such as schools, hospitals Industry” MI-16 event, including the
international exposure and place- nation of stray dogs. The proposed and transport hubs, along with sys- inauguration of the veterinary exhi-
ment opportunities for Indian veter- initiative aims to address stray dog tematic sterilization and vaccination bition. He interacted with private
inarians. Among those he met were population control while simultane- programs and appropriate sheltering practitioners, industry leaders and
the Secretary of the Department of ously providing structured, hands-on mechanisms. Ongoing hearings have academic experts, and also recon-
Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and surgical training for final-year veter- focused on humane, science-based nected with former classmates and
Gopalan, and the Managing Direc- inary students. The model envisages implementation and compliance. In colleagues, reinforcing long-standing
tor of the Rajasthan Skill and Live- close coordination among veterinary this context, AAVIO’s proposed Jai- professional relationships.
lihood Development Corporation, universities, government depart- pur pilot seeks to offer a practical Reflecting on the visit, Dr. Mu-
Dr. Samit Sharma. These discussions ments, municipal bodies and animal and collaborative model for effec- rarka said that his more than two
focused on aligning academic train- welfare organizations. If successfully tive population management, rabies decades of experience in rescue
ing with global best practices and en- implemented in Jaipur, the project is prevention and advanced veterinary operations and shelter medicine as
hancing employability for veterinary intended to be replicated in other In- training. Medical Director at the Pennsylvania
graduates. dian cities and to support the formal During his meeting with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
As part of his academic engage- introduction of Shelter Medicine Chief Minister, Dr. Murarka also to Animals had shown him how coor-
ment, Dr. Murarka conducted hands- programs in veterinary universities, sought permission to expand Mis- dinated, humane and science-based
on wet lab training and advanced aligned with established practices in sion Rabies Jaipur’s outreach into approaches can simultaneously pro-
clinical sessions for veterinarians in the United States. schools across Rajasthan. The pro- tect public safety, improve animal
collaboration with the Small Animal The proposal is set against the posed school-based program aims to welfare and strengthen veterinary
Veterinary Association (SAVA) Ra- backdrop of a broader legal and educate children on rabies preven- training. He said India’s veterinary
jasthan. The wet lab was hosted at public health context. In late 2025, tion, promote safe behaviour around profession holds immense promise
Dr. Chawla’s Pet Hospital in Jaipur, the Supreme Court of India took animals, and raise awareness about and that closer collaboration among
with logistical and technical support suo moto cognizance of rising pub- post-bite care and the need for im- government authorities, veterinary
provided by Gagrin Singh of Glob- lic health concerns related to dog mediate medical attention, with the universities, private practitioners,
al Technology Solutions, Janakpu- bites across the country. The Court objective of reducing rabies-related animal welfare organizations and
ri, New Delhi, who coordinated the emphasized the need for coordinat- risks across the state. the global Indian veterinary dias-
transportation and installation of ed action by State governments to In Mumbai, Dr. Murarka partic- pora could elevate clinical training,
dental stations, anesthesia machines balance citizens’ right to safety un- ipated in academic and professional strengthen public health initiatives
and other advanced veterinary der Article 21 of the Constitution programs at the Maharashtra Ani- such as rabies control and humane
equipment from New Delhi. with animal welfare principles. Its mal and Fishery Sciences University population management, and create
Dr. Murarka also visited the Post directions highlighted the removal and attended the Pet Practitioners sustainable, globally aligned oppor-
Graduate Institute of Veterinary Ed- of stray dogs from sensitive public Association of Mumbai’s “Meet the tunities for future veterinarians.

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