Decline In Population Of Indigenous Cows: Supreme Court Issues Notice On PIL Against Artificial Insemination Using Exotic Foreign Breeds

Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a PIL filed seeking directions to Centre and States to take steps for the artificial insemination of Non-Descript indigenous Cows using the semen from pure/descript Indigenous Breeds as opposed to 'Exotic' Foreign Breeds.

A bench comprising CJI NV Ramana, Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Hima Kohli has issued notice to the Union of India and all the States.

The present petition filed by an Indigenous Cattle conservationist and the Founder of a Gaushala has sought declaration that the the action of promoting and encouraging artificial insemination of Non-Descript Cows using semen from 'Exotic' Foreign Breeds such as Holstein Friesian and Jersey is arbitrary and not in consonance with Article 48 of the Constitution of India. 

The petition filed through Krishna Dev Jagarlamudi has sought directions to make available and adequately distribute semen of Indigenous Breeds for the purpose of artificially inseminating Non-Descript Cattle. 

Further directions have been sought to Centre and States to take appropriate steps for educating the farmers and livestock owners of the benefits of Indigenous Cattle and the long-term harmful effects and unsustainability of rearing Exotic/ Crossbred Cattle. 

The writ petition has argued that over the past few decades, India's single-minded pursuit of increasing milk production has resulted in a steady decline in the population of its Indigenous Breeds with a manifold increase in the number of Exotic / Cross Breeds.

While comparing the Livestock Census – 2019, to the one conducted in 2012, the petition has pointed out that Foreign Cattle has increased by 29.3% while there has been a decrease of 6% of the Indigenous Cattle.

Case Title: A Divya Reddy vs Union of India & ors 

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