Professor & Head
Department of Veterinary Parasitology
Period: 1945-1968
The late Dr. Sasurla Ram Mohan Rao, was a well-known parasitologist of India and is founder of the Department of Parasitology, Bombay Veterinary College in 1945. He was first D.Sc. Zoology (1939) and faculty of Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi. He worked in USA at Johns Hopkins Institute in early fifties.
As a Dean of Faculty of Technology, Bombay University, starting Post Graduate Programme in Bombay Veterinary College (1960) goes to his credit. He guided 15 students for master’s degree and 3 students for doctoral studies. He has more than 100 research publications in reputed journals. He was honoured with “Professor of Emeritus” by University Grants Commission. The scientific community of India has also honoured by electing him as President of Indian Science Congress Association (Medical & Veterinary Division) in 1968. He wrote a book on “A decade of Progress in Veterinary Science 1960-70” published by Indian Science Congress Association. His main contribution is in the field of ticks, Oribatid mites, amphistomes, trichinellosis and strongyles, particularly, coccidiosis and reported few new species, viz. Eimeria bombayansis (1954) and E. mundaragi (1956) of cattle and E. gokaki (1959) of buffalo. Dr. V.S. Deshpande became Professor of parasitology after retirement of Dr. Narsapur in 1996. He was instrumental in getting a research scheme on “Immunodiagnosis of bladder worms in food animals” from ICAR. At present, the department is headed by Dr. M. L. Gatne who worked on immunodiagnosis of hydatidosis in farm animals for his doctoral degree. Dr. Gatne and his team brought number of agency schemes to the department and extended the diagnostic facilities to pet owners, farmers, veterinarians and laboratory animal houses on commercial scale that generated a lot of revenue. This step took the department on the path of self sustenance. With the availability of self earned funds, the aesthetic outlook of the department was rejuvenated to a presentable state. A laboratory of molecular parasitology was established in 2008 to keep up the pace with advances in veterinary parasitology. He was instrumental for collaborating with University of Queensland, Australia under which two projects were completed. He has also been appointed as an External Member on the Advisory Panel of a Ph. D student of University of Queensland.