News & Announcements

Bhoomi Pooja Ceremony of the Academic Block of VKIDFT held at Mannuthy campus on 04.09.2014

                 Considering the monumental contributions and services Dr. Verghese Kurien has made towards the development of various facets of dairy development in India, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) decided to name the forthcoming School of Dairying and Food Technology at Mannuthy campus as ‘Dr. Verghese Kurien Institute of Dairy and Food Technology (VKIDFT)’. This project is initiated with the support of RIDF scheme of NABARD. This would be a significant developmental proposal for Kerala, taking into consideration the fast growing demand for Dairy and Food Technologists in the country and world over.
                    The Bhoomi Pooja ceremony for the construction of academic block of this prestigious institute was performed on 4th of September, 2014 at the proposed site in the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy campus. Distinguished dignitaries like Prof. (Dr.) J. Prameela Devi, Member – Kerala Women’s Commission and the Malayalam translator of Dr. Verghese Kurien’s autobiography, I too had a Dream, Prof. (Dr.) P.I. Geevarghese, Dean - CDST, Prof. (Dr.) P. C. Saseendran – Dean, CVAS Mannuthy, Prof. (Dr.) R. Rajendra Kumar, Former Dean - CDST, Sri. Sunny K Thomas, Chief Engineer – ID Wing of KVASU, Prof. (Dr.) P. Sudheer Babu, Head – KVASU Dairy Plant, Prof. (Dr.) S.N. Rajakumar - Head, Dept. of Dairy Technology, Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan, Head Publications, Dr. A.K. Beena, Assoc. Professor, CDST, Sri. Sasikumar Palliyil – President, CDSTPTA, Smt. Anacy Shaji, a progressive dairy farmer who bagged the Best Women Dairy Entrepreneur Award in the year 2013-14, faculty members and students from the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, CDST, Mannuthy, Senior officials from the Directorate of Entrepreneurship – KVASU, CPWD and NABARD attended the function.
The proposed institute will provide integrated facilities for advanced research and for running UG, PG and Doctoral programmes in Dairy and Food Sciences and undertake new product development assignments through R&D activities and collaborations with educational and R&D institutions of national and international repute. The proposed Institute of Dairy & Food Technology (VKIDFT) would be the first of its kind in the state providing qualified Technologists on a long term basis to the ever growing Dairy/Food processing sector. The institute will address prospects and challenges in dairying in the state to meet the increasing demand of milk and milk products. This will facilitate, market led production, technology transfer, farmer friendly research, consultancy services, commercial farming and agribusiness in Dairying. The mandate of the Institute envisages future prospects of this Institute towards development of skilled manpower. The different academic programmes planned under VKIDFT will definitely give a boost to this sector. The research and training facilities proposed to be undertaken will draw the attention of the dairy and food industries in the years to come.