Dr. MPG Kurup writes with substantial inputs from his classmate Prof.Dr. M Krishnan Nair, Dean , Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences about Prof. Dr.M.N. Menon, Former Animal Husbandry Commissioner & Jt.Secretary , Government of India , New Delhi
Dr. MN Menon was one of the most outstanding Veterinary Professionals in India : the crowning position he held in the country was as the Animal Husbandry Commissioner and Joint Secretary to the Government of India for a period of 5 years.
After a distinguished / brilliant , academic career completed the 5 year GMVC/BVSc Course in 1945 , from the Madras Veterinary College. Dr.KS Nair was the Principal and his Mentor. Dr.Menon , then joined the Indian Dairy Research Institute and acquired their Associateship. He then went to United Kingdom and took MRCVS From the Royal Veterinary College London , and later the Royal College awarded him FRCVS , for the innovative Thoracic Surgery Technique in Dogs , he developed.
In 1958 , the Kerala Government invited Dr.Menon : then Professor of Surgery in Madras Veterinary College , to join the Kerala Veterinary College and appointed him as the Principal and Professor of Surgery . The Government later appointed him as the State Director of Animal Husbandry , in 1961 .
In 1971 , Dr.V Kurien , Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board as well as the Chairman of the Indian Dairy Corporation , persuaded Dr. Menon to join the Indian Dairy Corporation as its Regional Manager in Chennai. Dr.Kurien wanted him to actively participate in the world famous Farmer / Dairy Development Project “Operation Flood” , he launched in 1970 ! Soon he moved to the Head Office of the IDC as Head (Milk Production Enhancement and Procurement : MPEP) , in Baroda , Gujarat.
Meanwhile I was already the Dy.Director of Farmer Organisation and Animal Husbandry , in the NDDB , at Anand , also in Gujarat. We thus became Colleagues in the Same National Set Up. Among other things , one of the interesting and important tasks we did jointly was to acquire from the World Market , very high genetic quality Breeding Stock of Dairy Cattle : Pregnant Heifers and Young Bulls , thousands of them , from Europe , North America , Australia and New Zealand . We also organised the massive Air transport of the globally acquired Dairy Seed Stock by specially chartered Boeing 747 Cargo Air Crafts ,from the International Airports to Various Air Ports in India.
In the second half of 1975 , Dr.Menon was appointed by the Government of India , as The Animal Husbandry Commissioner , as well as , the Joint Secretary , ex officio , in the Central Ministry of Agriculture. When Dr.MN Menon became part of the Central Government , I took over as the Head (MPEP) of the IDC in Baroda and continued the tasks.
Dr. Menon was the Protégée and also the Son in Law , of Dr.KS Nair and has two Children : a daughter and a son. Dr.Menon , after a very distinguished career , retired to his home town ” Thiruvananthapuram ” .He left for his heavenly abode in the late Nineties.
Dr. Menon was a Man of unassailable integrity , both personal and professional ! He was also a wonderful human being. He was my , teacher , Boss , mentor, later Colleague and all through my friend , Philosopher and guide. I can summerise my feelings for him as nothing less than “worship” !
May his noble soul continue to rest eternally in peace , in his heavenly home ! Guru Sakshath Parabrahma , thasmii Sree Gurave Namah.
❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️
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Response
I remember Dr.Menon taking over as the Principal of the Kerala Veterinary College from his father-in-law. Dr.Kurup was a student there and I was a student in the Mannuthy Govt. School. Dr. Menon was held very high as a professional and respected so. I remember my father mentioning that Dr.Menon was the only professional those days, authorised to certify race horses at Chennai fit for the races.