National Gopal Ratna Award -2024.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, is making all out efforts for the effective development of Animal Husbandry and Dairy sector to provide sustainable livelihood to the farmers. Indigenous bovine breeds of India are robust and possess the genetic potential to play crucial role in the national economy. The “Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM)”, was launched in December 2014, with a view to conserve and develops indigenous bovine breeds in a scientific manner.

2.      Under RGM, since 2021 this department has been conferring National Gopal Ratna Award every year with an objective to encourage the Milk producing farmers, dairy cooperative societies/MPC/FPOs and Artificial Insemination Technicians (AITs). This year also National Gopal Ratna Award is for the following categories:

1. Best Dairy farmer rearing indigenous cattle/buffalo breeds (list of registered breeds Annexed).
2. Best Dairy Cooperative Society (DCS)/ Milk producer Company (MPC)/ Dairy Farmer Producer Organization (FPO).
3. Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT).

3.  From this year onward, the Department has incorporated a Special award for North Eastern Region (NER) States so as to encourage and boost the dairy development activities in North Eastern Region(NER).

4.   NGRA 2024 will conferred to 1^st,  2^nd, 3^rd and one Special Award for North Eastern Region(NER) States in each category as mentioned above. NGRA 2024 will consist of a Certificate of merit, a memento and monitory prize in first two categories i.e Best Dairy Farmer and Best DCS/FPO/MPCs as under:

• Rs. 5,00,000/-(Rupee five lakh only)            -1st rank
• Rs. 3,00,000/- (Rupee three lakh only)         -2nd rank and
• Rs. 2,00,000/- (Rupee two lakh only)            -3rd rank
• Rs. 2,00,000/- (Rupee two lakh only) -Special Award for North Eastern Region (NER).

5.   In case of Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) category, National Gopal Ratna Award-2024 will consist of a Certificate of merit and a memento only. No cash prize will be provided in Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) Category.

6.   Nominations for National Gopal Ratna Award during 2024 shall be submitted online through National Award portal i.e. https://awards.gov.in starting from 15.07.2024 and the closing date for submission of nomination will be 31.08.2024. The awards are to be conferred on the occasion of National Milk day (26^th Nov, 2024). For more detail about guidelines regarding eligibility  and applying online, the website https://awards.gov.in OR  https://dahd.nic.in may be referred.