President Murmu urges chemical-free, affordable animal healthcare

New Delhi

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday stressed the need to develop low-cost, chemical-free, and indigenous treatments for improving animal healthcare in India. Speaking at the convocation of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, she emphasized that such treatments should have no side effects on animals, humans, or the environment.

She also called for the adoption of advanced technologies like genome editing, embryo transfer, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data analytics to transform veterinary care across the country. Technology can empower veterinary hospitals and bring revolutionary changes in this field, just as it has in human medicine, she said.

Highlighting India’s cultural values of coexisting with nature and wildlife, President Murmu urged the use of human intelligence for the welfare of all living beings. She also raised concern over the extinction of species like vultures, linking it to harmful chemicals in animal medicines, and called for safer alternatives.

President Murmu praised IVRI’s 135-year legacy, originally established in 1889 to fight the rinderpest epidemic. She acknowledged the institute’s critical role in animal health and its potential in controlling zoonotic diseases. Commending students for choosing a path dedicated to voiceless creatures, she encouraged them to explore entrepreneurship and launch start-ups in animal sciences.