Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has announced the foundation of the Animal Welfare Society of JNU (AWS-JNU), making it the first university in the country to establish a formal organisation dedicated to animal care.

According to an official statement, the society was established under the supervision of JNU Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit in accordance with directives from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the University Grants Commission (UGC), and is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Piyush Pratap Singh, Associate Dean of Students and Chairperson of JNU's Animal Birth Control Committee (ABC), has been appointed Chair of AWS-JNU, ANI reports.

Faculty, staff, student representatives, and external experts, including animal welfare activist Gauri Maulekhi and PAWS Foundation founder Vipul Jain, will serve as advisors to the society, the statement added.

The society's goal is to promote animal care and sustainability through awareness campaigns, campus initiatives like feeding zones, research projects on animal law and ecology, internships at SPCAs and veterinary facilities, and community outreach to prevent human-animal conflict.

Highlighting the endeavour, the JNU vice chancellor stated that the society would incorporate animal welfare and sustainability into both the curriculum and daily campus life.

She stated that the AWS-JNU exemplifies the spirit of NEP 2020 as well as India's constitutional duty under Article 51A(g) to exhibit compassion for all living beings.