Lok Sabha Question No. 2613 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-05
Subject: Improvement in Genetic Quality  and  Crossbred  Cattle
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Shri Bastipati Nagaraju

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2613 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH  AUGUST 2025

## IMPROVEMENT IN GENETIC QUALITY AND CROSSBRED CATTLE

## 2613. SHRI BASTIPATI NAGARAJU:

## Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING मत्स्यपालन , पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has launched any programmes or projects specifically aimed at making indigenous and crossbred bovines more resistant to emerging diseases like lumpy skin disease, foot and mouth disease and other zoonotic infections and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details regarding measures being taken by the Government to scientifically improve the genetic quality of indigenous and crossbred cattle without compromising disease resistance traits;
- (c) whether any dedicated research projects or collaborations with national research institutes or universities are being undertaken by the Government to identify genetic markers for disease resistance in Indian cattle breeds and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the details regarding the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to establish new breed development institutes or strengthen existing ones, particularly in disease prone regions, to accelerate scientific breed improvement and disease prevention?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

(PROF. S. P. SINGH BAGHEL)

- (a) and (d) No Sir, however, Department is implementing the Livestock Health and Disease  Control  Programme  (LHDCP)  Scheme,  in  all  States/UTs  with  the  aim  of reducing risk to animal health by prophylactic vaccination against diseases of animals, capacity  building  of  Veterinary  services,  disease  surveillance  and  strengthening veterinary  infrastructure  which  contribute  to  the  improvement  and  protection  of livestock health. Financial assistance is provided to the States/UTs as per the demand for  procurement  of  vaccine  doses  for  carrying  out  vaccination  against  Lumpy  Skin Disease  (LSD)  and  related  disease  control  activities  under  Assistance  to  State  for Control  of  Animal  Diseases  (ASCAD)  of  Livestock  Health  and  Disease  Control Program (LHDCP). The funds of Rs. 196.61 crore have been released to States/UTs during the year 2024-25. The states/UTs are also supported technically  through the visits of Central Expert Teams for on ground support including physical and virtual

meetings for sensitization the states /  UTs  authorities.  The  guidelines/advisories  for control of LSD including vaccination and treatment have been circulated to States /UTs for implementation so as to control and contain the disease within a definite timeline.

Under Assistance to States for Control of Animal Disease (ASCAD) of LHDCP support is provided to State/UT for establishment and strengthening of Laboratories and  Biological  Production  Units  (BPUs)  for  disease  diagnosis  and  supplementing production of diagnostic kits/vaccines, capacity building and awareness/training topics like Good Animal Husbandry Practices, biosecurity/sanitary measures, vector control etc.

The  Crisis  Management  Plan  (CMP)  has  been  developed  for  Livestock  diseases  in managing  and  responding  to  animal  disease  outbreaks,  ensuring  swift  containment  and mitigation.  Standard  Veterinary  Treatment  Guidelines  (SVTGs)  are  formulated  for  best practices in veterinary care to enhance livestock health and disease control.

Further,  the  Department  provides  100%  central  assistance  to  Indian  Council  of Agricultural Research-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI),  Bengaluru  for  carrying  out  sero-surveillance,  sero-monitoring,  disease warning and alerts are also provided on 15 diseases in local languages to farmers, veterinarians and  field  officials  through  National  Animal  Disease  Referral  Expert  System  (NADRES) platform.

(b) In  order  to  complement  and  supplement  the  efforts  made  by  the  States  and  Union Territories  to  scientifically  improve  genetic  quality  of  indigenous  and  crossbred  cattle population  without  compromising  disease  resistance  traits,  the  Government  of  India  is implementing Rashtriya Gokul Mission across the country and following measures have been taken under the scheme:

(i) Nationwide Artificial Insemination Programme: Under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, the  Department  of  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying  is  expanding  artificial  insemination coverage to boost the milk production and productivity of bovines.

(ii) The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has established sex sorted semen production facilities and implementing Accelerated Breed Improvement Programme using sex sorted semen with the aim to produce female calves up to 90% accuracy thereby enhancing milch cattle population, breed improvement and farmers' income. Government has launched indigenously developed sex sorted semen technology to deliver sex sorted semen at reasonable rates to farmers.

(iii) Implementation of In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Technology: To propagate elite animals the  Department  has  established  23  IVF  laboratories.  The  technology  has  important  role  in genetic upgradation of bovine population in single generation. Further, to deliver technology at reasonable rates to farmers Government has launched IVF media.

(iv) Progeny testing and Pedigree Selection: In order to produce high Genetic merit bulls of Indigenous breeds, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing Progeny

Testing and Pedigree Selection programme. HGM bulls of indigenous breeds and crossbreds have been made available to semen stations.

(v) Genomic Selection:  To select High Genetic Merit (HGM) animals and to accelerate genetic improvement of cattle and buffaloes, the Department has developed unified genomic chips -Gau Chip for indigenous cattle and Mahish Chip for buffaloes -specifically designed for initiating genomic selection of high genetic animals in the country.

(vi) Multi-purpose Artificial Insemination Technicians in Rural India (MAITRIs): Under the  scheme  MAITRIs  are  trained  and  equipped  to  deliver  quality  Artificial  Insemination services at farmers' doorstep.

Further, to strengthen infrastructure for taking up holistic and scientific development of bovine population, projects have been sanctioned for establishment/ strengthening of Centre of excellence, existing semen stations, genomic centre; sex sorted semen production facility and IVF labs.

ICAR Institutes  are  undertaking  measures  including  selective  breeding  and  genetic evaluation  to  improve  genetic  quality  without  compromising  disease  resistance.  The  first synthetic breed of cattle Frieswal was developed by inclusion of 5/8 Holstein Friesian and 3/8 Sahiwal genetic makeup.

(c) The  Department  of  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying  is  implementing  National Livestock  Mission  and  under  the  scheme  there  is  a  component  named  'Research  and Development and Innovations, through which funding support to incentivize research activities is  given  for  advancement  of  livestock  species,  fodder  development,  and  value  addition  in livestock and livestock products.

As per ICAR, Animal Science Institutes has undertaken research projects to identify genetic markers for disease resistance in Indian cattle breeds. Following is the details of the project:  (i)  A  project  titled  "Deciphering  the  Genetic  Basis  of  Lower  Susceptibility  of Indigenous Cattle to Bovine Anaplasmosis" has been initiated on March 2024 (for three years duration) at the ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal, with funding support from the National Agricultural Science Fund of ICAR and  (ii) The All India Coordinated  Research  Project  (AICRP)  on  Cattle  Indigenous  Breed  (Sahiwal)  is  being implemented with ICAR-CIRC, Meerut as the Lead Centre. ICAR-IVRI serves as one of the collaborating units under this project, contributing to research and development efforts focused on the genetic improvement, conservation, and sustainable utilization of the Sahiwal breed.

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