India celebrates National Milk Day every year on November 26 to commemorate the birth anniversary of the 'Father of the White Revolution in India', Dr. Verghese Kurien also known as the Milkman of India.
National Milk Day 2023: History
Dr. Verghese Kurien was born on November 26, 1921 in Kozhikode, Kerala. He was a pioneer in transforming India's milk industry.
The White Revolution, also known as Operation Flood was a landmark initiative launched by Dr. Kurien in the 1970s. Its primary objective was to make India self-sufficient in milk production by empowering dairy farmers and establishing a robust cooperative system. Under his leadership, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) and the brand Amul became synonymous with the success of the White Revolution.
In 2014, The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the Indian Dairy Association (IDA), and 22 state-level milk federations decided to celebrate National Milk Day to pay tribute to Dr. Verghese Kurien.
Paying tribute to the legen-dairy leader, Dr Verghese Kurien on his birth anniversary!
November 26, 2022
He propelled India to the world's largest producer of milk.
Every year, #NationalMilkDay is observed to commemorate Dr Verghese Kurien's birthday.
#MoCRemembers pic.twitter.com/9Vp5LNqdnSNational Milk Day in India 2023: Significance
National Milk Day is significant because India is a nation where dairy farming has been a traditional occupation for centuries. The day is not just a tribute to Dr. Kurien but also an opportunity to acknowledge the vital role that milk plays in the lives of millions of Indians.
Let's embark on the journey with Amul clean fuel rally. Celebrating vision of Dr. Kurien this National Milk Day. Stay tuned! #Drkurien #NationalMilkDay #Amul #CleanFuelRally #AmulIndia pic.twitter.com/dzoVJ2ZzMZ
November 20, 2023National Milk Day Celebration 2023: National Gopal Ratna Awards
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala will confer the National Gopal Ratna Awards on November 26 at Veterinary College Ground, Guwahati, Assam.
Assam CM Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan will also be present in the award ceremony.
Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is organizing National Gopal Ratna Award 2023 as a part of National Milk Day celebration 2023.
National Gopal Ratna Award is one of the highest National Awards in the field of livestock and dairy sector, with an objective to recognize and encourage all individuals like Farmers rearing indigenous animals, AI Technicians and Dairy cooperative societies / Milk Producer Company/Dairy farmers Producers Organizations working in this sector.
The Award is conferred in three categories, namely,
Best Dairy Farmer Rearing Indigenous Cattle/buffalo Breeds,
Best Dairy Cooperative/Milk Producer Company/Dairy Farmer Producer Organization).
Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT)
The award consists of a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh for 1st rank, Rs 3 lakh for 2 rank and Rs 2 lakh for 3rd rank along with a Certificate of merit and a memento in first two categories i.e Best Dairy Farmer and Best DCS / FPO/ MPCs.
In case of the Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) category, the National Gopal Ratna Award-2023 will consist of a Certificate of merit and a memento only.
The applications were invited through the online application portal i.e. https://awards.gov.in developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) from 15.08.2023 to 15.10.2023. A total of 1770 applications were received.
About Dr Verghese Kurien
Dr Kurien always regarded himself as an employee of the farmers who would do anything to bring prosperity in their favour. In his service of over fifty years he attained 15 honorary degrees from different institutions of the world as he believed that learning should never stop.
His enduring personality, spirit, undying charisma and conviction of turning the impossible into possible won him many accolades such as the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership (1963), Padma Shri (1965), Padma Bhushan (1966), Krishi Ratna Award (1986), World Food prize (1989), Padma Vibhushan (1999) and several other awards, but the best award that the people of the country gave him was the title “Milkman of India”.
After a lifetime of struggle and conviction towards serving the nation Dr Verghese Kurien breathed his last on 9 September 2012 due to brief illness at Anand.
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