PVMC issues list of unaccredited veterinary institutions

Institution head contests council claims, says colleges predate existence of regulatory body

KARACHI:

 

Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council (PVMC), a federal body for regulating veterinary institutes, has disclosed that most of the public sector universities registered with the PVMD are not accredited for post for MSc, MPhil and PhD in relevant fields. In addition to that, a majority of these universities are only have temporary authorisation for issuing degrees in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) to their students.

The PVMC made this disclosure in a recently published public notice in the newspapers. Through the notice the PVMC has warned candidate including students enrolled in these universities “not to waste their time and money” by studying at these institutions. “Neither the Council recognises the degrees issued by such institutes, nor do we register the qualifying degree holders”, the PVMC administration

stated in its public notice.
The PVMC administration has listed of 12 such public sector universities across the four provinces, most of which have been providing veterinary and animal sciences education since decades on basis of temporary approval.

These include Gomal University D.I Khan, Pir Ali Shah Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Balochistan, Bahawuddin Zakria University Multan, Islamia University Bahawalpur, University of Poonch Rawlakot, Azad Kashmir, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Jhang, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sakrand, Khan Bahadur Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmed College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Narowal and Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur.
Addressing the afore mentioned institutions, the council warned that “degree holders from these universities will also not be eligible for any government or non-government job”, in its published announcement.

On the other hand, the notice further revealed that out of the total fifteen public veterinary institutions, only four were declared to be fully accredited for awarding degrees of DVM, MSc, M.Phil and PhDs.

These include University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Rifa College of Veterinary Sciences, Lahore and Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam.

According PVCM Assistant Director Umar Nawaz told the Express Tribune that these universities do not fulfill the required criteria for accreditation for issuing post-graduation degrees. He said that reason for granting them provisional approval for DVM is also the same. “These universities will be granted formal approval soon after fulfillment of the PVMC criteria,” he added.

When probed about the case, IUB Veterinary & Animal Sciences College Principal Dr Sajid Hameed admitted that his university still lacks permanent accreditation for DVM degrees due to unmet requirements. “We have a shortage of senior professors”, he confessed.

Similarly, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Sakrand head Dr. Zahid Iqbal Rajput, also shared that the PVMC had expressed its concern about the dearth of of faculty members during its last visit to the institution. Following which, the university board increased its number of teaching faculty in November 2020. “I hope the university’s DVM programme is awarded permanent accreditation during the forthcoming visit of the PVMC,” he prayed.

Peshawar University of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Sciences head Professor Dr. Umar Siddique however, expressed his reservations about the PVMC policies. Reasoning with the declaration, he said that his institute was established even before creation of the PVMC. “There was Higher Education Commission before the PVMC and our degrees including the PhD were formally accredited by the HEC”, he asserted.

According to him the controversy stems from the establishment of the PVMC in 1999. Following inception, PVMC asked for fresh registration of the College under the PVMC rules. “Colleges had formal approval for issuing degrees of the DVM even before creation of the PVMC. However, the PVMC went to suspend status of permanent approval and granted provisional approval to the College for DVM,” he told The Express Tribune.