National Gopal Ratna Awards: Odisha’s Anil Kumar Pradhan To Receive Second Prize For Best Artificial Insemination Technician

New Delhi: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri Parshottam Rupala will confer the National Gopal Ratna Awards on Sunday at the Veterinary College Ground, Guwahati, Assam.

The National Gopal Ratna Award is one of the highest National Awards in the field of livestock and dairy sector, with an objective to recognize and encourage all individuals like Farmers rearing indigenous animals, AI Technicians, and Dairy cooperative societies / Milk Producer Company/Dairy farmers Producers Organizations working in this sector. The Award is conferred in three categories:

1. Best Dairy Farmer Rearing Indigenous Cattle/buffalo Breeds
2. Best Dairy Cooperative/ Milk Producer Company/ Dairy Farmer Producer Organization)
3. Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT)

Chief Minister, Assam, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan will also be present in the award ceremony. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is organising the event as part of the National Milk Day celebration 2023.

Anil Kumar Pradhan from Odisha’s Angul will receive the second prize in the category of Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT).

The Award consists of a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh for the first rank, Rs. 3 lakh for the second rank and Rs. 2 lakh for the third rank along with a certificate of merit and a memento in the first two categories i.e Best Dairy Farmer and Best DCS / FPO/ MPCs.

In the case of the best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) category, the National Gopal Ratna Award-2023 will consist of a certificate of merit and a memento only.

The applications were invited through the online application portal i.e. https://awards.gov.in  developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). A total of 1770 applications were received.

The livestock sector is crucial to the Indian economy today, comprising one-third of the agriculture and allied sector GVA and having over 8% CAGR. At the same time, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries activities play a significant role in generating farmer income, particularly among the landless, small and marginal farmers and women, besides providing cheap and nutritious food to millions of people.

Indigenous bovine breeds of India are robust and possess the genetic potential to play a crucial role in the national economy. In the absence of a specific program on the development and conservation of indigenous breeds, their population has been declining and their performance is below the potential at present. Thus the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying initiated the “Rashtriya Gokul Mission”, under the National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development in December 2014 with a view to conserve and develop indigenous bovine breeds.