Colleges & Faculty

Poultry is one of the fast growing segments of the agricultural sector in India, with an average growth rate of 8 to 12 percent per annum. India is ranked as the 3^rd largest egg producer and the 6^th largest meat producer in the world. According to I.C.A.R vision 2025, an increase in per capita availability of one egg will generate 50000 more jobs.

In Kerala, livestock including poultry has been traditionally practiced mainly as an extensive low input subsistence system integrated with crop production. It is an important livelihood sector and a major contributor to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). However, the gap between the production and requirement of eggs is in the upward trend. Similarly, poultry meat production in the state is also increasing year after year. However, the per capita availability of poultry meat is still very low.

Considering the potential of poultry in addressing the problem of food security, employment and income generation, emphasis has to be given to this sector. It is in this background, the 11^th meeting of the Management Council held on 20.12.2013 decided to establish a Faculty of Poultry Science in Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University.

In consonance with the decision of the Management Council, sanction was accorded to establish a Faculty of Poultry Science under KVASU (Vide Order No. KVASU/DAR/Admin (2)/3557/13 dated 11-02-2014). Sanction was also accorded to establish a College of Avian Sciences and Management (CASM) and an Avian Research Station (ARS) at Thiruvazhamkunnu, Palakkad with different components. The notification on the formation of Faculty of Poultry Science and College of Avian Sciences and Management and Avian Research Station under the faculty was published in the Kerala Gazette on 27^th October 2014 (Vol. III).

The College of Avian Sciences and Management is established at Thiruvazhamkunnu, Palakkad district in 2014 with the aim of providing quality education in all aspects related to poultry science so as to meet the increasing demand of skilled personnel required in the industry. The college is offering B.Sc. (Poultry Production and Business Management), a three year graduate programme from 2014 Academic year onwards. The course is designed with the objectives of crafting human resource management professionals with technical knowledge in poultry production, developing entrepreneurial skills to unemployed youth and equipping youth with different facets of Poultry production and business management. The college also aims at conducting need based research in poultry farming for helping the farmers. An Avian Research station is also located in the campus which comprises of various poultry farms, feed mill, hatchery unit etc. for providing hands own training to the students and also to supply quality inputs to the poultry farmers.

The College is having the following six departments.

      1. Poultry Breeding and Genetics

     2. Poultry Nutrition

    3. Poultry Production Management

    4. Avian Disease Management

    5. Poultry Processing Technology

    6. Poultry Business and Entrepreneurship

List of Academic Programme

     Undergraduate Programme:

               1. BSc PPBM (Poultry Production and Business Management)

Student Amenities:

Informatics lab

         College of Avian Sciences and Management is equipped with an Air conditioned computer lab with 27 computers with an LCD projector and high speed broadband connection to facilitate practical exposure on basic computer skills like MS word, MS excel, MS power point, browser, etc. and for accessing online resources for academic activities and knowledge building of the students. The lab is also equipped with biometric attendance system.

Seminar hall

         A centralized air conditioned seminar hall with 150 seating capacity has been established for conducting seminars, conferences and similar events.

Laboratories

        Five laboratories with modern equipment are established under the following departments for providing practical exposure to students:

• Poultry Breeding and Genetics

• Poultry Nutrition

• Poultry Production Management

• Avian Disease Management

• Poultry Processing Technology

Academic Cell

     The academic cell functioning in the college undertakes all the academic activities under BSc PPBM programme. Academic cell is responsible for the implementation of academic programmes under the strict regulations formulated by the university.

Conference Hall

     A fully furnished conference hall is established for conducting meetings and conferences.

Placement Cell cum Counselling Centre

      The Institute helps each student in exploring placement opportunities by inviting various companies for campus recruitment of students who are in the final year of the programme and are likely to graduate at the end of the academic year. The final placements, at the Institute, are a result of very systematic interaction with the industry and continuous career counselling of the students. Right from the beginning of the programme, students are continuously counselled with regard to his/her career aspirations and options, which in turn is vigorously followed up with the potential companies for participating in the placement programme of the Institute. This helps the students in getting their ‘dream’ jobs, also assists the visiting placement companies in identifying the ‘right’ candidate for their organization

Playground and recreation facilities

     The college has adequate sports and games facilities to support the physical development of students. There is an outdoor multipurpose playground (70m×70m) for sports like football, cricket and athletics activities. Courts for volley ball (18m×9m) and shuttle badminton (13.4m×5.18m) are established for the students. An indoor area offers facilities for table tennis, caroms and chess. Sports goods are also made available for students for the conduct of various sports activities like cricket, football, volley ball and athletics. . A physical instructor on working arrangement guides the students in various sports activities. Students are actively participating in inter collegiate and inter-agri sports meets every year. A college yoga club was started with a one week yoga training programme and the students are practicing yoga regularly.

Fitness Centre for students and faculty

      A fitness centre, equipped with various modern equipment like multi gym, treadmill and weight lifting equipment, has been established in the campus to help the students and faculty for improving their physical health.

Technology Business Incubation Centre

   Technology Business Incubation (TBI) centre was established under CASM using the fund available under NAHEP IG Project with facilities for conducting various creative activities for the students for improving the mental and entrepreneurial skills.

Students Canteen

     A canteen with sufficient seating capacity is available in the campus which provides food to students and faculty at concessional rate. Canteen is also acting as student mess.

Ladies hostel

     College of Avian Sciences and Management provide hostel facilities for girls within the campus itself. The lady students are being accommodated in one floor of the Farmers’ Training Centre in the campus. A matron and a resident tutor are residing in hostel to take care of the students. The hostel is established with fully furnished rooms. The hostel has all the facilities like electricity and water connection, 24 hour security guard supervision, fencing, easy road access, water purifiers for each floor, first aid box, TV, newspaper and magazines, computer, refrigerator, induction cooker, napkin destroyer.

Men’s hostel

     The College of Avian Sciences and Management has a well-furnished men’s hostel with ample space for accommodation along with recreational facilities. The hostel building has facility to house 48 inmates. There are 14 rooms of which 12 are double rooms and 2 are dormitories. There are sufficient toilet facilities attached to the hostel. The students are provided with a TV room, caroms board and Table tennis and floodlit badminton court for their recreation. A resident tutor is extending academic support to the students in the hostel.

Hostel Annexe

     This facility is used to accommodate first year students during anti-ragging period. It has the capacity to accommodate 20 students.

Library and informatics centre

      The library of CASM started functioning in 2014. It is established in the academic block. It maintains a collection of books of poultry, avian & management studies. A good collection of well-known literary works, books helpful to face competitive examinations, books providing psychological inspiration, biographies etc.

The college Library use modern technologies prevailing in the field of Information science and Technology and fully automated one. Library is working with various facilities like Koha, OPAC and D-space. Amazon Kindle e-book devices are also available to the users to experience e-ink technology devices. RFID system is also installed in the library to automate the in/out movement of books and visitors.

Smart Classroom

     A smart classroom has been established using the fund availed under NAHEP-IG project.

Demonstration Hall

     Demonstration hall, with projector and smart board facilities, to improve the delivery of classes and to facilitate the discussions and to provide a creative working space for the students.

Student Organisations

Student’s Union

        As in every college in India, the Students' Union of CASM, Thiruvazhamkunnu is dedicated to social, organizational and co-curricular activities of students. Union encourages the spirit of comradeship, secularism and patriotism, and inculcate democratic values in students. There are various associations like Athletic Association, Social Service League, Arts Club, Planning Forum, Literary and Debating Club, Film and Photography etc. subordinate to the College Union to achieve the objectives of the Union. Different clubs work together to organize debates, seminars, work squads, tour parties and other important activities.

Parent Teacher Association:

     Parent Teacher Association was started at CASM with a mission to make the college a better place for students to learn. Parents of students work together with faculty members to volunteer in classes and generally support the college’s efforts. The PTA undertakes various activities in co-operation with the faculty members for the welfare of the students. It also works for the development of students who are financially backward.

Major awards and achievement of students and faculty (during last 10 years, table form)

Major Achievements of the institute

• Received RKVY fund for infrastructural development

• Organised IPSACON 2015

       The 32^nd Annual Conference and National Symposium (IPSACON 2015) at College of Avian Sciences and Management, Thiruvazhamkunnu, Palakkad district from 19^th to 21^st of November 2015. The programme was inaugurated by Shri. Justice (Retd.) P. Sathasivam, Hon’ble Governor of Kerala. The conference was focused on the theme “Clean and Green Poultry Production” to address the possibilities for environment friendly poultry production and also the different strategies for effective waste disposal.

Various sessions were conducted in the symposia on Waste Management Systems in Poultry Operations, Poultry Housing, Management and Technology, Poultry Nutrition, Poultry Health and Welfare, Poultry Production and Biotechnology, Diversified Poultry Production, Value Addition of Poultry Egg and Meat, Poultry Breeding and Genetics, Poultry Science Education and Poultry Marketing and Economics. Around 300 delegates from different parts of the country attended the program.

DBT funded Project on duck improvement

        A DBT funded project entitled “Genetic up-breeding of duck production to strengthen livelihood security in NER of India by converging conventional and molecular techniques” on duck improvement for NER (north-east region) in consortium mode - by Dr.Stella Cyriac, Assistant Professor, CASM as Principal Investigator and Dr.Vineetha P.G., Assistant Professor, CASM as co-investigator.

IEDC Centre funded by KSUM

      New IEDC (Innovation Entrepreneurship Development Centre) at CASM Thiruvazhamkunnu has been started and the funding is done by KSUM (Kerala start-up Mission) from 2018-19 onwards. It aims at conducting various events for acquiring and developing the skills of the students.

ICAR – NAHEP Innovation Grant

     The college has been granted Rs.1 Crore as Innovation Grant of the National Higher Education Project (NAHEP), jointly funded by the World Bank and Government of India. The NAHEP has been formulated by ICAR with a total cost of US$ 165 million, aiming to develop resources and mechanism for supporting infrastructure, faculty and student advancement. It also provides means for better governance and management of agricultural universities, in turn, to develop a holistic model to raise the national standard of agricultural education on par with the global agriculture education standards for generating more jobs/entrepreneurship. The Innovation Grant, spreading for three years from 2019-20 to 2021-22, will be utilized to improve the academic infrastructure and institutional capacity building of CASM leading to accreditation by ICAR. The Innovation Grant will be utilized for the development of various infrastructure and for conducting various programmes for the enhancement of knowledge and skills of the faculty and students to improve their potential and to ensure better service to the society. The project envisages setting up of research laboratories in disease diagnosis, feed analysis and meat products quality control. The research and development of new technologies can be taken up along with addressing the need based issues of poultry farmers of the state. The advancements in the institute will also help in fostering business incubation in poultry sector among students of KVASU and farmers of Kerala, leading to employment generation and financial stability.

Student placements

Photos and Name of Dean/Special Officer, Associate Dean and AO with phone numbers and mail IDs

• Dr. S Sankaralingam

       Associate Professor and Special Officer

       College of Avian Sciences and Management

       Thiruvazhamkunnu PO, Palakkad, 678601

       Mobile No: 8281028206

       E-Mail ID: casmt@kvasu.ac.in

• Mr. Mridul Raj N A

   Administrative Officer

   College of Avian Sciences and Management

Thiruvazhamkunnu PO, Palakkad 678601

Mobile No: 7907734812

E-Mail ID: mridulrajna@gmail.com