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{{short description|Agricultural state university in Gujarat, India}}
{{about|a university in Gujarat|the university in Chhattisgarh|Chhattisgarh Kamdhenu Vishwavidyalaya}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox university
|name =Kamdhenu University
|former_name = 
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|established =2009
|type =[[Public university|Public]]
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|vice_chancellor = N. H. kelawala
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|city =[[Gandhinagar]]
|state = [[Gujarat]]
|country =[[India]]
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|affiliations = [[University Grants Commission (India)|UGC]]
|website = {{URL|https://www.kamdhenuuni.edu.in/}}
| image = Kamdhenu University logo.png
}}

'''Kamdhenu University''' is an agricultural [[State university (India)|state university]] located at [[Gandhinagar]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]]. It was established in 2009 by the ''Kamdhenu University Act, 2009'' of the [[Government of Gujarat]]. It focuses on [[dairy]] sciences.

==History==
The first proposal for a veterinary university in Gujarat, with focus on dairy production, was made by [[Verghese Kurien]] in 1984 while he served as the [[Vice-Chancellor]] of [[Gujarat Agricultural University]], but the proposal was ignored when he resigned from that position. A second offer was [[Promulgation|promulgated]] by the [[Government of Gujarat]] in 1996–97, but no action was taken. The university was finally established by the ''Kamdhenu University Act, 2009'', with the support of [[Narendra Modi]], then the [[Chief Minister of Gujarat]].<ref>{{cite web|title=About Kamdhenu University |url=http://www.ku-guj.org/about.aspx|publisher=Kamdhenu University|accessdate=6 July 2017}}</ref> However, the university only started functioning in 2014, when M. C. Varshneya was appointed its first Vice-Chancellor (VC).<ref>{{cite journal |title=New Universities Brief Profile |journal=IAUA News |date=January 2015 |volume=15 |issue=1 |url=http://www.iauaindia.org/newsletter_jan_mar15.html |access-date=25 January 2021}}</ref>

While the university was to created in order to focus on veterinary and animal sciences in general, it was assigned only two colleges, both for [[dairy]] sciences.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ritu|last=Sharma| title=Gujarat: No vet, fisheries college with Kamdhenu varsity |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/gujarat-no-vet-fisheries-college-with-kamdhenu-varsity-4434485/ |access-date=25 January 2021 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=19 December 2016 |language=en}}</ref> In 2017, this led to formal requests for transferring [[Veterinary medicine|veterinary]] and [[Fisheries science|fishery]] science colleges from other universities in the state. This move would was also necessary for getting [[Indian Council of Agricultural Research]] (ICAR) accreditation. However, the request met strong opposition from the other universities' VCs<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rupera |first1=Prashant |title=Kamdhenu University VC’s demand sparks row  |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/kamdhenu-univ-vcs-demand-sparks-row/articleshow/57881825.cms |access-date=25 January 2021 |work=[[The Times of India]] |language=en|date=29 March 2017}}</ref> and even led to suggestions to dissolve the university.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sharma |first1=Ritu |title=Need change in Act to transfer colleges to Kamdhenu University: Gujarat minister |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/need-change-in-act-to-transfer-colleges-to-kamdhenu-university-gujarat-minister-4612473/ |access-date=25 January 2021 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=14 April 2017 |language=en}}</ref> In 2018, N. H. Kelawala was appointed VC of the university.<ref>{{cite web |title=Message from Vice Chancellor |url=http://ku-guj.org/index.aspx?ID=139 |website=ku-guj.org |access-date=25 January 2021}}</ref> In September 2020 a bill was passed to transfer 11 colleges to the university.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gujarat: 11 colleges brought under Kamdhenu University |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/education/gujarat-11-colleges-brought-under-kamdhenu-university-6609830/ |access-date=25 January 2021 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=25 September 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official|https://www.kamdhenuuni.edu.in/}}
{{Universities in Gujarat}}
{{coord missing|Gujarat}}
[[Category:Veterinary schools in India]]
[[Category:Universities in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Education in Gandhinagar]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 2009]]
[[Category:2009 establishments in Gujarat]]
{{Gujarat-university-stub}}