Gau Seva Ayog appeals to VCs to set up Kamdhenu Chair

The move is meant to help increase awareness about indigenous cow breeds among students in rural areas and boost income of farmers

The Uttar Pradesh Gau Seva Ayog has appealed to the vice chancellors of state universities to establish a Kamdenu Chair on their campuses to promote research and higher studies on cows.

This appeal was issued after Allahabad University vice chancellor Prof Sangita Srivastava recently proposed to establish the said chair on AU campus.

“This will help increase awareness about indigenous cow breeds among the students in rural areas. The move is also aimed at increasing income of farmers with help of products made of milk sourced from cows,” said Amit Kumar Gupta, additional statistical officer, UP Gau Seva Ayog.

Confirming the development, Shiv Om Gangwar, officer on special duty (OSD) with the Ayog, said, “They have issued an appeal to vice chancellors to set up this Chair highlighting its benefits.” The Ayog is headed by UP BJP veteran Shyam Nandan Singh.

Gangwar said, “This chair would serve as a bridge between urban technological enhancements and proper care of our national treasure by disseminating the know-how to our rural folks who really need the information and skills.”

Through the new Chair, students will be taught about the native breeds of cows and the rural population would be helped to develop new skills and learn about technological advancement in the field in rearing cows and methods to increase productivity from them, Ayog added.

“There is a need to educate the youth about the agricultural, health, social and environmental importance of indigenous breeds of cows”, he added.

Allahabad University (AU) is planning to establish a Kamdenu Chair on its campus. For this, AU administration has also prepared a proposal and sent it to the union ministry of education for approval. Once the approval came, work on it would start at the university, officials said.

The idea for establishing this chair at AU was initiated by the vice-chancellor Prof Sangita Srivastava following her participation at a national webinar addressed by national Kamdhenu Commission chairman Vallabhbhai Kathiria.

The webinar was about setting up Kamdhenu Peeth in universities in collaboration with University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and American Intercontinental University (AIU).

“The research and knowledge transfer would be a boon for the cow population in rural areas of not only Prayagraj, but also of the neighbouring district,” said AU VC.

The government has begun to explore the potential of cows and the several products which cows help produce. In such a situation, research is needed along with providing a platform to bring out the science related to indigenous cows and our education system, an official with the Ayog said. AU would be first such institution in the country which has taken the initiative to establish Kamadhenu Chair.

“The proposal for establishing this Chair has been prepared by us and after getting the approval of the proposal from the union ministry, the students will be taught about cows through this”, said AU public relations officer Jaya Kapoor.

A department at AU would be entrusted with the responsibility of running the activities under this Chair and the name of the department for this would be decided by AU administration in the coming days.

UGC would give a grant of Rs 1.5 crore for the Chair. Through this, efforts will be made to save old cows in rural areas. The volunteers/students will also provide fodder and medicines to the cows, which would be on a subsidized rate. Apart from this, the rate of milk will be determined in the interest of farmers. The conception of cows will be ensured free of cost.

Earlier, the Ayog had already written to the chief minister, his ministers as well as BJP lawmakers to help popularise cow-dung based products that include idols of Laxmi and Ganesha which are worshipped on Diwali.

The big promotion for the cow dung diyas happened just ahead of Diwali when the Gau Seva Ayog planned to light one lakh diyas at Lucknow’s Jhoole Lal Vatika on the banks of the Gomti river.