Context:
- A trend has been found under Rashtriya Gokul Mission, that only the Gir indigenous cow breed is being promoted under it.
Gir Cows
- India recorded 2.3 million purebred Gir cows in the 2019 livestock census, which is an almost 70 per cent jump from the 2013 estimate of 1.38 million.
- The population of Sahiwal stood at 1.88 million in 2019 and its graded variety increased from 3.79 million to 4.07 million between 2013 and 2019.
About Rashtriya Gokul Mission(RGM)
- Objectives
- Development and conservation of indigenous breeds;
- Breed improvement programme for indigenous breeds so as to improve the genetic makeup and increase the stock
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
- Implementation: Rashtriya Gokul Mission is implemented through the Livestock Development Boards.
- The scheme comprises of two components namely:
- National Programme for Bovine Breeding (NPBB)
- National Mission on Bovine Productivity (NMBP).
- The scheme is under the umbrella scheme Rashtriya Pashudhan Vikas Yojna.
Reasons for focus on Gir indigenous cow as compared to other breeds:
- Being a native of the west and central parts of India, Gir cow has the ability to adapt to the entire central belt and northern and southern stretches.
- In contrast, Sahiwal, a native of Northern India or Tharparkar, from the Northwest, does not adapt as well to new environments.
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Initiatives under RGM
- Awards for encouraging farmers/breeder societies to rear Indigenous breeds of Bovines:
- Gopal Ratna awards: For farmers maintaining the best herd of Indigenous Breed(s) and practicing best management practices.
- Kamdhenu awards: For Best managed Indigenous Herd by Institutions/Trusts/ NGOs/ Gaushalas or best managed Breeders’ Societies.
- Gokul Grams: These are set up as Integrated Indigenous Cattle Development Centres with the aim of conservation and development of indigenous bovine breeds in a scientific and holistic manner.
- National Kamdhenu Breeding Centre: Under RGM, two National Kamdhenu Breeding Centres (NKBC) are being established as Centres of Excellence to develop and conserve Indigenous Breeds in a holistic and scientific manner.
- Pashu Sanjivni: An Animal Wellness Programme encompassing provision of Animal Health cards (‘Nakul Swasthya Patra’) along with UID identification and uploading data on National Database;
- Advanced Reproductive Technology: Including Assisted Reproductive Technique- In-vitro Fertilization (IVF)/ Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer (MOET) and sex sorted semen technique to improve availability of disease free female bovines.
News Source: Down to Earth
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October 27, 2023