Centre To Depute National Level Monitors (NLMs) to Oversee Livestock Schemes

Context:

The Centre has decided to deploy National Level Monitors (NLMs) to oversee the implementation of its livestock schemes including the National Livestock Mission, National Programme for Dairy Development and Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme and Rashtriya Gokul Mission.

The NLMs will be third-party independent monitors — individuals and institutions deployed by the government.
Individual NLMs will be selected from among retired Civil/Defence Services Officers, and academia.

The objectives of this monitoring include ascertaining whether the programmes of the Ministry are implemented according to guidelines prescribed by the Ministry and if prescribed implementation processes are being followed.
This monitoring will determine villagers’ views on the programmes, consider their suggestions for improvement and whether the selection of beneficiaries under a programme has been transparent, unbiased and fair.
The terms of reference state that the monitoring will determine if incentives to paravets/technicians/ farmers have been distributed as envisaged under the scheme.
It will monitor whether data generated on vaccination, disease monitoring and artificial insemination has been uploaded on the National Digital Livestock Mission on a real time basis.

At present, the department monitors the schemes’ implementation through “monthly, quarterly and yearly progress reports, management information system, regional review meetings and video conferencing sessions with participating states.”

The National Livestock Mission was implemented as a sub scheme of White Revolution – Rashtriya Pashudhan Vikas Yojana.
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India is implementing the scheme of National Livestock Mission since the financial year 2014-15.
It aims towards employment generation, entrepreneurship development, increase in per animal productivity and thus targeting increased production of meat, goat milk, egg, and wool.
The concept of the NLM Scheme is to develop the entrepreneur in order to create the forward and backward linkage for the produce available in the unorganized sector and to link with the organized sector.
Sub-Missions of National Livestock Mission:
- Sub-mission on Breed Development of Livestock and Poultry
- Sub-mission on Feed and Fodder Development
- Sub Mission on Innovation and Extension

It was launched in February 2014 by merging three existing schemes i.e.
- Intensive Dairy Development Programme
- Strengthening Infrastructure for Quality
- Clean Milk Production and Assistance to Cooperatives.
In July 2021, NPDD has been restructured with the aim of enhancing the quality of milk and milk products and increasing the share of organized procurement, processing, value addition and marketing; for implementation from 2021-22 to 2025-26.