Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Clinches ₹90.53 Crore PAIR–ANRF Grant
Joins Elite National Research League with NIT Rourkela
Ludhiana :
Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, popularly known as Vet Varsity, has secured a prestigious research grant under the Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) programme of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), marking its entry into an elite national research consortium led by the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela.
The PAIR programme adopts a hub-and-spoke model designed to foster mentorship, capacity building, and collaborative innovation by linking emerging institutions with established centres of excellence. Under this initiative, NIT Rourkela will serve as the hub, while participating spoke institutions include Vet Varsity (GADVASU), Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Sambalpur University, Odisha University of Technology and Research (OUTR), Fakir Mohan University (FMU), International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Bhubaneswar, and Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology (OUAT).
Together, these institutions will form a multidisciplinary research consortium titled “Consortium of Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture, Health, Energy, and Environment.” The achievement marks a significant milestone in Vet Varsity’s journey towards leadership in translational research and innovation-driven growth.
Congratulating the university, Dr. Jatinder Paul Singh Gill, Vice Chancellor, stated that the grant would significantly strengthen research infrastructure while enhancing the university’s role in addressing animal health, food innovation, and sustainable healthcare technologies. He expressed confidence that the outcomes of the projects would contribute meaningfully to national development and global scientific discourse, while urging faculty and researchers to continue pursuing excellence and innovation.
Dr. Parkash Singh Brar, Director of Research, expressed immense pride in the achievement and lauded the dedication of the faculty and scientific staff. He noted that Vet Varsity’s inclusion in the PAIR consortium represents a landmark moment in the university’s research journey.
The total budget of the PAIR–ANRF programme stands at ₹90.53 crore, of which Vet Varsity will receive ₹4.08 crore. Under the grant, the university will lead three interdisciplinary sub-projects.
The first project, “AI/ML-Enabled Systems for Monitoring Livestock Health, Optimizing Production, and Improving Sustainability,” led by Dr. Devendra Pathak, Dr. Sikh Tejinder Singh, and Dr. Navdeep Singh, focuses on deploying artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to enhance livestock health monitoring, productivity, and sustainable animal farming practices.
The second project, “Enhancement of Protein Functional Properties via Non-Thermal Techniques for Novel Food Product Development,” is being undertaken by Dr. Sunil Kumar, Dr. Rekha Chawla, Dr. Anju Boora Khatkar, and Dr. Narender Kumar Chandla. It aims to improve protein functionality using non-thermal processing methods, with implications for innovative food products and human health.
The third project, “Development of Biodegradable Biomaterials for Application in Healthcare Technologies,” led by Dr. Manu M and Dr. Kuldip Gupta, seeks to develop eco-friendly biomaterials for medical and healthcare applications, contributing to global sustainability efforts.
With this achievement, Vet Varsity has firmly positioned itself among India’s leading institutions driving interdisciplinary research, innovation, and sustainable development.
