Indian Army Remount and Veterinary Corps

The Remount and Veterinary Corps is an administrative and operational branch of the Indian Army, and one of its oldest formations. It is responsible for breeding, rearing and training of all animals used in the army.[2][3]

Remount and Veterinary Corps
Insignia of the Remount and Veterinary Corps
Active1779 - Present
Country India
Allegiance Indian Army
Garrison/HQMeerut
Motto(s)Pashu Seva Asmakam Dharma
Anniversaries14 December
Commanders
Lieutenant generalP R Venkatesh[1]

History

The corps was initially raised in Bengal in 1779 as the 'Stud Department'. The Army Veterinary Corps was officially established on 14 December 1920. The partition in 1947 led to the division of the assets of the Veterinary and Military Farms corporations in a 2:1 ratio for the Indian and Pakistani armies. The combined Remount, Veterinary and Farms Corporation separated as independent corps in May 1960.[4][5]

Major General SN Srivastava supervising RVC operations at Zoji La Pass

The veterinary corps provided veterinary cover to animals in World War I, and saw action in Palestine and Russia. They were initially allowed to carry only Kukris as weapons, but since World War II, they have been allowed to use all normal weapons including rifles and bayonets. In April 1985, the breeding base of RVC was expanded from 2700 to 3973 animals, to attain self-sufficiency in animal production.[6] Karnataka’s Mudhol Hound, an Indian dog breed, is being trained to serve in the Indian Army, making it the First Indian Dog Breed to be trained for Army Duty

RVC established the Zanskar Pony Breeding and Training Centre in Ladakh, which at 3146 m above sea level has been declared as the highest Stud farm in the world by the Limca Book of Records. The Centre is involved in breeding Zaniskari ponies for use by the army in high altitudes.[7]

RVC personnel serving as part of the Indian contingent in UNMISS

Humanitarian Assistance

RVC has also been involved in providing veterinary assistance to rural areas in Jammu and Kashmir and North East India under Project Sadbhavana. The corps has also been associated with passing on their expertise and training veterinary students of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu. RVC has also provided assistance as part of the Indian contingent in many UN missions across the world.[4][5]

References
  1. "Gazette of India No 45" (PDF). 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  2. "Remount Veterinary Corps celebrates 237th Raising Day". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  3. "Remount Veterinary Corps celebrates 237 raising day". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  4. "'RVC – 233 YEARS YOUNG'". Indian Army. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  5. "RVC : The Force Multiplier". sainiksamachar.nic.in. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  6. "Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC)". globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  7. "Agro-Animal Technologies for High Altitude" (PDF). Defence Research and Development Organisation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
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