Administration Reports.
Bombay Veterinary College.
Report of the — for the year 1892-93.
No. 1671.
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
Bombay Castle, 12th August 1893.
Letter from the Director of Public Instruction, No. 1740, dated the 4th July 1893—
Submitting, with reference to this Department memorandum No. 1373, dated the 13th
June 1893, a copy of the Report of the Bombay Veterinary College for the year 1892-93.
RESOLUTION.—Though the report will be noticed by the Director of
Public Instruction in his annual report on education, the Governor in Council
would have been glad to receive his criticisms as desired in Government Resolu-
tion No. 1605, dated the 7th August 1891.
2. The number of students at the end of the year was 38 or one less
than in 1891-92, of whom 18 were Hindus, 6 Parsis, 3 Muhammadans, 1
Buddhist, 1 Jew, 3 Portuguese and 6 Europeans and Eurasians. Of these
38 students, 13 paid fees, 10 were sent for instruction by Native States or
Local Boards, and 15 were free students. As regards students sent up by
Native States or Local Boards, the Principal complains that some of them
are not suitable for the practical training they receive. No doubt the States
and Boards concerned will give due weight to any advice that may be profferred
by the Principal in the selection of candidates.
3. The result of the examinations was not satisfactory. 18 students
out of 38 passed the examinations against 22 out of 42 in 1891-92 ; and only
5 out of 18 were given diplomas against 7 out of 18 in the previous year.
This it is reported was due partly to changes in the College Staff and partly
to failures in the final examination in Medicine and Surgery, in which subjects
a higher number of marks is required than in other subjects. On the recom-
mendation of the Examination Board an alteration has been made in the College
rules to equalize the number of marks required for a pass in each subject, and it
is hoped that the next report will show better results.
4. Appendix F and the facts stated in paragraph 6 of the report afford
proof of the growing demand for the services of graduates of the College.
Many of the graduates are employed in Native States and British Districts
on pay ranging from Rs. 40 to Rs. 300 per mensem ; and a few are engaged
in private practice. During the year 10 graduates obtained employment on
pay from Rs. 50 to Rs. 100 per mensem. The Principal received applications
for 7 more graduates from Calcutta, Ajmere and Khándesh, but was unable
to comply with them, there being no graduate available.
5. The expenditure on the College amounted to Rs. 28,548 against
Rs. 28,095 in 1891-92. The fee receipts amounted to Rs. 1,260 against
Rs. 1,290. The appointment of the Principal of the College to be in charge
of the Sewri Lazaretto and to be Veterinary Surgeon under the Glanders and
Farcy Act, and the appointment of two graduates of the College under the Act—
one as Itinerating Inspector and the other as Harbour Veterinary Surgeon—
the work of both of whom is supervised by the Principal, have been of great
advantage to the City, ensuring a skilled and careful supervision of centres
from which disease may spread and the prompt detection of infectious cases.
The remarks of the Principal in paragraph 7 may be communicated to
the Judicial Department for such action as may be considered necessary, and
to the Military Department for information. The Principal also rendered
assistance in examining horses for the Horse-Breeding Department, in selecting
grass and grain for the Commissariat Department and in other directions.