Context:
The Centre has decided to deploy National Level Monitors (NLM) to oversee the implementation of its livestock schemes including National Livestock Mission and Rashtriya Gokul Mission.
Relevance:
GS II: Government Policies and Interventions
Dimensions of the Article:
- National Livestock Mission (NLM)
- Centre to Deploy National Level Monitors for Livestock Schemes
- About the Rashtriya Gokul Mission
National Livestock Mission (NLM)
Inception and Realignment
- The National Livestock Mission (NLM) was launched during the 2014-15 fiscal year.
- It underwent realignment in 2021-22.
Objective
- NLM seeks to enhance both the quantity and quality of livestock production systems and to build the capacity of all stakeholders.
- The core concept of the NLM Scheme is to nurture entrepreneurship, establishing connections between the unorganized and organized sectors.
Aims
- The revised scheme aspires to:
- Generate employment opportunities.
- Develop entrepreneurship.
- Raise productivity per animal, ultimately leading to increased meat, goat milk, egg, and wool production.
Implementing Agency
- The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying has overseen the scheme’s implementation since the 2014-15 fiscal year.
Centre to Deploy National Level Monitors for Livestock Schemes
The Indian government plans to assign National Level Monitors (NLMs) to oversee various livestock schemes.
Monitoring of Livestock Programs
- NLMs will supervise the implementation of livestock schemes and programs.
- These include the National Programme for Dairy Development and Livestock Health and Disease Control programs.
- Two types of monitoring are proposed: regular and special.
- The objectives encompass ensuring adherence to Ministry-prescribed guidelines and processes.
- Monitoring will also gauge public perceptions, gather suggestions for improvements, and assess beneficiary selection for transparency.
Nature of NLMs
- NLMs will be independent, third-party monitors, comprising both individuals and institutions designated by the government.
- Individual NLMs will be drawn from retired Civil/Defence Services Officers and academia.
Significance of Monitoring
- The government’s attention to monitoring schemes in the Animal Husbandry and Dairying sector is noteworthy, given the sector’s growing economic contribution.
- Involving NLMs ensures impartial and objective monitoring of these schemes.
Contribution of Livestock Sector
- The livestock sector’s contribution to agriculture output has risen from 24.32% in 2014-2015 to 30.87% in 2020-21.
- The sector has experienced a compound annual growth rate of 7.93% from 2014-15 to 2020-21.
- The total value of the livestock sector’s output in 2020-21 was Rs 14.49 lakh crore, based on National Account Statistics 2022.
- The value of milk output exceeded Rs 9.31 lakh crore, surpassing the combined value of paddy and wheat.
About the Rashtriya Gokul Mission
- The Rashtriya Gokul Mission was launched in December 2014.
- It has been extended as part of the Rashtriya Pashudhan Vikas Yojana from 2021 to 2026.
Mission Objectives:
- Enhancing Productivity: The mission aims to boost the productivity of indigenous bovine breeds while ensuring sustainability. It leverages advanced technologies for this purpose.
- Increased Milk Production: One of its goals is to facilitate a significant increase in milk production through efficient bovine management practices.
- High-Quality Breeding: The mission advocates the use of high genetic merit bulls for breeding, contributing to the improvement of cattle genetics.
- Widening Insemination Coverage: Strengthening the breeding network and making artificial insemination services easily accessible to farmers is a key objective.
- Holistic Conservation: The mission is dedicated to the scientific and comprehensive conservation of indigenous cattle and buffalo breeds.
Issues with Rashtriya Gokul Mission:
- Established in 2014, the Rashtriya Gokul Mission was intended to enhance the quality of semen for various indigenous cattle breeds in India.
- However, the mission has largely prioritized the Gir cow, primarily due to its milk production and adaptability to different regions.
- This preference for Gir cows is evident from the 2019 livestock census, which showed a substantial increase in purebred Gir cows since 2013, while other indigenous breeds like Sahiwal and Hariana have not seen similar growth and, in some cases, have experienced a decline.
- This trend has raised concerns about the diminishing diversity of indigenous cattle breeds in India.
-Source: The Hindu
