The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, is going to organise a mega event to commemorate the birth centenary of Dr. Varghese Kurien, the pioneer of India’s White Revolution which is celebrated as National Milk Day, on November 26, 2021, jointly with the National Dairy Development Board and other institutions created by Dr. Kurien, at NDDB, Anand, Gujarat. During the ceremony, Union Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala will confer the National Gopal Ratna Awards to winners of the best dairy farmers rearing indigenous cattle/ buffalo breeds, best artificial insemination technician and best dairy cooperative society (DCS), milk producer company, dairy farmer producer organisations in the country, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying has announced today.
The minister will also inaugurate an IVF (in vitro fertilisation) Lab at Dhamrod, Gujarat and Hessergatta, Karnataka, besides felicitating the winners of the National Gopal Ratna Awards.
Gopal Ratna Award 2021
Indigenous bovine breeds of India are robust and possess the genetic potential to play a crucial role in the national economy. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying had initiated “Rashtriya Gokul Mission”, under National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development in December 2014 with a view to conserve and develop indigenous bovine breeds.
The objective of the programme is genetic up-gradation of cattle and buffaloes. To achieve this, artificial insemination (AI) service needs to be robust. There are 302 million bovines in the country as per the 20th livestock census. The average productivity is five kg per day per animal at present. AI technicians have a crucial role in transforming the bovine population from the state of low productivity to optimal productivity. Hence, after the farmers who rear the animals, there is a need to identify the best AI technician striving hard towards 100 per cent AI coverage so as to achieve the country’s flagship programme objective of doubling of farmers’ income.
Similarly, 1.9 lakh dairy cooperative societies and milk producer companies at the village level are growth drivers as it involves about two crore dairy farmers as members and acts as a rural institution to provide the farmers market access for their produce and help in earning remunerative prices.
According to the ministry, Gopal Ratna Award – one of the highest National Awards in the field of livestock and dairy sector, with an objective to encourage all individuals and dairy cooperative societies, milk producer companies, dairy farmers producers organisations working in this sector, are conferred in three categories, namely,
- Best Dairy Farmer Rearing Indigenous Cattle/Buffalo Breeds
- Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) and
- Best Dairy Cooperative/ Milk Producer Company/ Dairy Farmer Producer Organisation.
Award consists of a certificate of merit, a memento and amount in each category as under:
Rank | Award money |
1st | Rs. 500,000 |
2nd | Rs. 300,000 |
3rd | Rs. 200,000 |
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For the first time, applications were invited on self-nomination through online application started from July 15, 2021 to October 10, 2021. In total, 4,401 applications were received online as under;
S. No. | Category | Total number of applications received |
1. | Best dairy farmer rearing indigenous cattle/buffalo breeds | 1,628 |
2. | Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AlT) | 1,240 |
3. | Best Dairy Cooperative / Milk Producer Company / Dairy Farmer Producer Organisation | 1,533 |
Total | 4,401 |
National Award Committee has selected 1st, 2nd and 3rd ranks in each category
No. | Category | Name of the Gopal Ratnas with their rank for 1st, 2nd and 3rd |
1. | Best dairy farmer rearing indigenous cattle/ buffalo breeds | 1st. Surendra Awana, Jaipur, Rajasthan
2nd. Resmiedathanal, Kottayam, Kerala 3rd. Rajput Modhibenvardhsinh, Banaskantha, Gujarat 3rd. Madhuri, Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh |
2. | Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AlT) | 1st. Rama Rao, Karri, Andhra Pradesh
2nd. Dularu Ram Sahu, Chhattisgarh 3rd. Rajesh Bagra, Rajasthan |
3. | Best Dairy Cooperative / Milk Producer Company / Dairy Farmer Producer Organisation) | 1st. Kamdhenu Hitkari Manch Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh
2nd. Deepthigiriksheerolpadaka Sahakarana Sangam , Wayanad, Kerala 3rd. Algur Milk Producer Cooperative Society, Jamkhandi, Karnataka |