Shri Bahurao Deshpande Veterinary College Athani

Shri Bahurao Deshpande Veterinary College at Athani is a government veterinary institution and a constituent college of Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU), Bidar. Sanctioned in 2010, the college was formally inaugurated and commenced academic operations on 11 August 2023, making it one of the newest veterinary colleges in Karnataka.

The college offers a B.V.Sc. and Animal Husbandry programme with an intake of 50 students per batch. This five-and-a-half-year programme (including a compulsory internship year) is recognised by the Veterinary Council of India (VCI). Admission is through the NEET-UG and KEA counselling process, following standard veterinary admission procedures in Karnataka.

Located on a 211-acre campus at Savalagi Road, Kokatnur village, approximately 18 km from Athani town in Belagavi district, the college holds the distinction of being the first and only rural veterinary college in Karnataka. The campus sits near the Krishna River in a region historically known for indigenous livestock breeds such as Krishna Valley cattle and Yalaga sheep.

Campus infrastructure includes a main academic building with departmental wings and classrooms, a veterinary clinical complex for hands-on animal treatment training, a post-mortem examination building, dedicated animal houses, separate hostels for male and female students, a library, and staff quarters. The college is strategically positioned to serve the veterinary healthcare needs of farming communities across the northern Karnataka border region and to create employment opportunities for rural youth in animal husbandry and veterinary sciences.