Centre to Deploy National Level Monitors for Supervising Livestock Schemes

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:

1. National Livestock Mission (NLM)
2. Centre to Deploy National Level Monitors for Livestock Schemes
3. 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