Dr. Ankaj Thakur

Dedicated and accomplished Assistant Professor in Livestock Production Management with over 7 years of experience in teaching, research, and extension services. Specializing in animal welfare, behavior, and pastoral systems, with significant contributions to the welfare and productivity of migratory and transhumant livestock systems. Co-Principal Investigator of multiple high-impact research projects, including goat improvement, disaster preparedness for migratory flocks, and indigenous breed conservation. Skilled in livestock housing, disaster management, and community outreach, with a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions for smallholder and nomadic farmers. Passionate about advancing sustainable livestock production through research, education, and collaboration.

Skills can be taught, not the right attitude.

• Research Excellence : Developed the first welfare assessment protocol for migratory goats and contributed significantly to animal welfare in pastoral systems.
• Recognition of Gaddi Dog Breed : Played a key role in the official recognition and registration of the Gaddi Dog breed by ICAR-NBAGR.
• Leadership Roles : Served as Cultural Secretary at ICAR-NDRI, Secretary of the Student Council at CSKHPKV, and Treasurer of the Veterinary and Animal Sciences Teachers Association (VASTA) at COVAS, showcasing strong organizational and leadership abilities.
• Teaching Impact : Successfully taught LPM courses to veterinary graduates for over 7 years, focusing on animal welfare and livestock management.
• Extension and Outreach : Conducted regular training programs and health camps for pastoral farmers to improve livestock productivity and welfare.

• ISAPM : The Indian Society of Animal Production and Management
• ISSGAPU : Indian Society for Sheep and Goat Production and Utilization
• IVA: Indian Veterinary Association
• HVC: Himachal Veterinary Council
• ISBD: Indian Society of Buffalo Development
• AIASA : All India Agricultural Students Association
• ANSI : Animal Nutrition Society of India

• Certified Assessor for various Qualification Packs, including Artificial Insemination Technician, Dairy Farmer/Entrepreneur, Small Dairy Farmer, Livestock Service Provider, and Poultry Hatchery Supervisor, issued by the Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI) (2020–2025). Credential IDs available upon request.
• Certified in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, The University of Edinburgh (May 2020).

• GADVASU, University Merit Scholarship, 2014-2015
• ICAR-NDRI, Institute Scholarship, 2015-2017

Manuscripts Under Review / Submitted

• Thakur, A., Kamboj, M. L., Dogra, P. K., & Vanita, B. (2025). Development of a welfare assessment protocol for migratory goats in the North-Western Himalayan region. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, Published online: 21 Jan 2025.
• Thakur, A., Kamboj, M. L., Vanita, B. (2025). Behavioral Adaptations of Gaddi Goats: Validation of Seasonal Resource Utilization in Transhumant Pastoralism of the North-Western Himalayan Region. Journal of Veterinary Behavior (Manuscript Number: JVEB-D-24-00129R2) (Revision Submitted).
• Thakur, A., Kamboj, M. L., Vanita, B., Kumar, R. (2025). Assessing Welfare Risks for Transhumant Goats in India: Perspectives from Expert Opinions. Small Ruminant Research (Manuscript Number: Rumin-D-25-13) (Submitted).
• Thakur, A., Kamboj, M. L., Vanita, B., Raza, M., & Dogra, P. K. (2024). Behaviour of migratory Gaddi goats, their welfare issues, and mitigation measures. Indian Journal of Animal Production Management, 40(Special Issue), 107–115.
• Thakur, A., Thakur, R., Kumar, A., Vanita, B., Sankhyan, V., Katoch, S. (2024). Assessing Gaddi Dogs as a Non-Lethal Predator Deterrent in the North-Western Himalayan Transhumant Pastoralism. Journal of Veterinary Behavior (Manuscript Number: JVEB-D-24-00094) (Under Review).
• Sharma, D., Singh, S., Daundkar, P., Sharma, P., Thakur, A., & Verma, S. (2024). In vitro efficacy of essential oil of wild marigold (Tagetes minuta L.) against lice in Gaddi goats. Indian Journal of Small Ruminants (The), 30(2), 283-286.
• Thakur, A., Sharma, A., Sharma, M., Kumar, A., & Prasad, C. K. (2023). Study on organic goat production as a tool for sustainability of nomadic pastoralism in north-western Himalayan region, India. The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 94(1), 67-71.
• Kumar, R., Thakur, A., & Sharma, A. (2023). Comparative prevalence assessment of subclinical mastitis in two crossbred dairy cow herds using the California mastitis test. Journal of Dairy, Veterinary & Animal Research, 12(2), 98-102.
• Sankhyan, V., Thakur, R., Dogra, P. K., & Thakur, A. (2022). Phenotypic characterization and documentation of Gaddi dog of the western Himalayan region of India. The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 92(10), 1189-1193.
• Dogra, P., Sankhyan, V., Kumari, A., Thakur, A., & Kumar, N. (2018). Enhancing profitability of nomadic Gaddi goat production system for augmenting farmer’s income. Indian Journal of Animal Production Management, 34(3-4), 36-39.
• Thakur, A., Malik, D. S., Kaswan, S., & Saini, A. L. (2017). Effect of different floor space allowances on the performance and behavior of Beetal kids under stall-fed conditions. Indian Journal of Animal Research, 51(4), 776-780.
• Lakhani, P., Thakur, A., Kumar, S., & Singh, P. (2017). Artificial induction of lactation in bovines: Scope and limitations. International Journal of Livestock Research, 7(4), 102-112.
• Thakur, A., Malik, D. S., Kaswan, S., & Saini, A. L. (2016). Effect of floor space allowances on growth, coccidiosis and economics of Beetal kids under stall feeding. Indian Journal of Small Ruminants (The), 22(2), 264-266.
• Gupta, S. K., Shinde, K. P., Lone, S. A., Thakur, A., & Kumar, N. (2016). The potential impact of heat stress on production and reproduction of dairy animals: consequences and possible solutions: a review. International Journal of Science and Environment Technology, 5, 903-911.

Book edited

• Tanpure, M. U., Shedge, J. B., Parade, A. K., Shinde, S. P., & Thakur, A. (Eds.) (2023). Holistic Approach towards Livestock and Dairy Management (Volume-1). Stella International Publication.

Book chapters

• Kumar, R., Thakur, A., Kumar, R., & Dogra, P. K. (2021). Livestock shelter management: Climatic change perspective. In Sejian, V. (Ed.), Climate Change and Livestock Production: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives (pp. 129-141). Springer.
• Thakur, A., & Vanita, B. (2022). Emergency animal shelters during disasters. In Verma, S., & Prem, H. T. (Eds.), Management of Animals in Disasters (pp. 215-228). Springer.

Academic Excellence

• Merit Certificate for Academic Excellence:

Awarded during the 2021-22 academic session for passing PhD (Livestock Production Management) examination on 24th April, 2023.

Oral Presentation Awards

National Conferences

• 1st Best Oral Presentation: XXXVth Annual Conference of IAVMI, Himachal Pradesh, 2023.
• 1st Best Oral Presentation: 4th National Conference on Pluralistic Approaches for Livestock Development, CSKHPKV, Palampur, 2022.
• 2nd Best Oral Presentation: International Livestock Conference and Expo, Hyderabad, 2016.
• 2nd Best Oral Presentation: 27th Annual Convention of ISAPM, Jaipur, 2020.

Poster Presentation Awards

International Conference

• Nestle Purina Companion Animal Award: Gaddi Breed of Livestock Guard Dog: A Saviour of Man-Wildlife Conflict in Nomadic Pastoralism. Presented at the 54th Congress of ISAE, 2021.

National Conferences

• 1st Best Poster Presentation4th National Conference on Pluralistic Approaches for Livestock Development, CSKHPKV, Palampur, 2022.
• 1st Best Poster Presentation (Theme X): 1st International Conference on Future Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture, SAAHAS, 2024.
• 2nd Best Poster Presentation: XVI National SOCDAB Conference, ICAR-NBAGR, Karnal, 2019.
• 3rd Best Poster Presentation: International Conference on Global Research Initiatives for Sustainable Agriculture, Jaipur, 2018.

• TV Talks : Delivered educational talks on livestock management and welfare practices through local and national television platforms to benefit farmers.
• Radio Talks : Participated in radio programs to disseminate knowledge on animal welfare, housing management, and productivity improvement techniques.
• Extension Lectures : Conducted multiple on-ground and virtual extension lectures for farmers, focusing on topics such as calf management, disaster preparedness for livestock, and smallholder dairy farm interventions.
• Popular Articles : Published farmer-friendly articles in vernacular and agricultural magazines to promote best practices in livestock farming and animal welfare.

• Co-Coordinator :
  Veterinary Emergency Response Unit (VERU), North Zone (Ongoing)
• Co-Convener :
  Model Training Course on “Empowering Farm Women with Dairy Entrepreneurship” (2018)
• Co-Coordinator :
  Dairy Farming Entrepreneurship (Agriculture Skill Council of India - ASCI) (2018)
• Co-Coordinator :
  Model Training Course on Innovative Approaches in Animal Husbandry for Doubling Farmer's Income (2018)
• Guest Speaker:

Welfare Assessment Protocol for Native Goats and Sheep at an International Society for Applied Ethology workshop, NDRI Karnal (October 2024).

• Inter-college Chess Winner : Achieved consecutive wins in 2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012.
• Inter-college Athletic Event : Secured 3rd position in the 800m race, 2009-2010.
• Secretary, Student Council Association : Served as Secretary at CSKHPKV, Palampur, during 2011-2012.
• Cultural Secretary, ICAR-NDRI : Held the position of Cultural Secretary at ICAR-NDRI, Karnal, during 2015-2016.
• Member, Veterinary and Animal Sciences Teachers Association (VASTA) : Active member during 2017-2018.

I affirm that the details provided in this document are correct and complete to the best of my understanding.