The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday made a strong pitch for the establishment of a national veterinary council to give the field its own regulatory body, similar to other professional councils, so that experts can shape policy and set standards.
He argued that any field progresses best when it is regulated and guided by its own domain experts. Bhagwat, who is himself a veterinary science graduate, was speaking at the National Symposium on the 'Role of Canine in One Health: Building Partnership and Resolving Challenges'.
The RSS chief stressed the co‑existence wherein humans, animals and nature must live in harmony and suggested India could offer eco‑friendly solutions rooted in its cultural ethos to tackle global environmental challenges . He called for a balanced coexistence and urged society to think deeply about how to achieve this.
Bhagwat emphasised that veterinary practitioners are critical stakeholders in India's economic growth. He urged them to look beyond conventional clinical roles and see themselves as vital contributors to the national economy. He highlighted the pivotal role of animal‑health professionals in India’s economic growth.
He urged vets to think beyond traditional duties, become “stakeholders in society” and help farmers and animal‑husbandry workers thrive, noting that a robust veterinary sector directly supports agrarian livelihoods and GDP. Bhagwat stated, “The agriculture-based countries benefitted as long as farmers cultivate diverse crops along with animal husbandry and fish farming.”
Referring to a recent Supreme Court verdict on the relocation and vaccination of stray dogs, Bhagwat noted the polarised reactions from the public. He suggested that alternative, expert-driven approaches should be explored to resolve such contentious issues. He advocated balanced, humane approaches rather than extreme measures, encouraging alternative strategies for stray‑dog management .
"Human beings will have to think about how to live together with everyone. Recently, a decision regarding dogs was taken, and there was a lot of uproar in Delhi. There were two views in society, one said kill all the dogs, and the other said do not touch the dogs at all. So if humans have to live alongside dogs, they must think about how to do so...," he said.