UPSC Prelims 2025 Q30: Rashtriya Gokul Mission — Explained
Consider the following statements about the Rashtriya Gokul Mission:
I. It is important for the upliftment of rural poor as majority of low producing indigenous animals are with small and marginal farmers and landless labourers.
II. It was initiated to promote indigenous cattle and buffalo rearing and conservation in a scientific and holistic manner.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- I only
- II only
- Both I and II
- Neither I nor II
Answer: (c) Both I and II
Statement-wise explanation
- I: correct — This is the Government's own reason for the scheme. The Cabinet release of March 2025 on the revised Rashtriya Gokul Mission says it is crucial for upliftment of the rural poor because more than 80% of low-producing indigenous animals are with small and marginal farmers and landless labourers. Raising the yield of these animals raises the income of the poorest livestock keepers. The release adds that over 70% of livestock work is done by women, so they also gain.
- II: correct — Launched in December 2014, the Mission's stated aim is to promote indigenous cattle rearing and conservation in a scientific and holistic manner. It covers all bovines, not only cows. The aim is to develop and conserve indigenous bovine breeds, upgrade bovine genetics and raise milk productivity. Buffalo productivity is one of the measures used to track the scheme. Adding buffaloes to the statement does not make it wrong.
How to eliminate
Neither statement uses an absolute word such as 'only', 'always' or 'all' that you could attack. Statement I is reasoning you can check against basic knowledge: India's indigenous and non-descript cattle give much less milk than crossbreds, and they are kept mostly by poor households. A scheme to raise their yield will help the rural poor, so the statement fits the scheme's logic. Statement II follows from the scheme's name, since 'Gokul' signals indigenous cattle and conservation. The only trap is the word 'buffalo'. Remember that RGM covers indigenous bovines, which means cattle and buffaloes. Both statements copy the official wording of the Ministry and PIB almost word for word. The safe way to solve such questions is to know the scheme's stated objectives: indigenous bovine breeds, conservation, productivity, and the over-80% small-holder ownership figure.
Know more
Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) is a scheme of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying). It has run since December 2014. It aims to develop and conserve indigenous bovine breeds, genetically upgrade the bovine population, and raise milk production and productivity.
Revised RGM (Cabinet, March 2025)
- Additional outlay of ₹1,000 crore, taking the total to ₹3,400 crore for 2021-22 to 2025-26 (15th Finance Commission cycle).
- New: Heifer Rearing Centres for high genetic merit (HGM) animals, and 3% interest subvention for farmers buying HGM IVF heifers.
- Continuing: semen stations, the artificial insemination (AI) network, sex-sorted semen, IVF embryo production, genomic selection and farmer awareness.
- Doorstep AI is delivered through MAITRIs (Multi-Purpose AI Technicians in Rural India).
- Gokul Grams are centres for conserving and developing indigenous breeds.
Outcomes reported by the Government
| Indicator | 2014-15 | 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Milk production | 146.31 million tonnes | 239.30 million tonnes (+63.55%) |
| Yield of indigenous/non-descript cattle | 927 kg/animal/year | 1,292 kg/animal/year (+39.37%) |
| Buffalo yield | 3.64 kg/animal/day | 4.32 kg/animal/day (+18.68%) |
Do not confuse RGM with these schemes
| Scheme | Focus |
|---|---|
| Rashtriya Gokul Mission | Indigenous bovine breeding and productivity |
| National Livestock Mission | Entrepreneurship, feed and fodder, small ruminants, poultry, livestock insurance |
| NADCP | Vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease and brucellosis |
| GOBARdhan | Biogas from cattle dung and bio-waste, under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) |
Indigenous breeds are valued for heat tolerance, disease resistance and their ability to live on poor fodder. Their low milk yield is the reason RGM exists.
In the news
In March 2025, two months before the Prelims, the Union Cabinet approved the revised Rashtriya Gokul Mission with an extra ₹1,000 crore. The PIB release on that decision contains the 'more than 80% of low-producing indigenous animals' line that Statement I repeats.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Animal husbandry: RGM is an animal husbandry scheme; knowing what the sector covers helps place cattle and buffalo breeding within it.
- Dairy farming: The Mission's goal is higher milk yield from milch animals, which is the core of dairy farming.