♦ The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying announced the winners of the National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) 2025 on 17 November. These are one of the highest national honours in India’s livestock and dairy sector. The awards will be presented on November 26 as part of the National Milk Day celebrations.
♦ Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), will confer the awards. The ministry received 2,081 applications this year, from which the awardees were selected.
Winners Across Categories
Best Dairy Farmer (Indigenous Cattle/Buffalo Breeds)
Non-North Eastern Region (NER):
1st: Aravind Yashavant Patil, Kolhapur, Maharashtra
2nd: Dr. Kankanala Krishna Reddy, Hyderabad, Telangana
3rd: Harshit Jhuria, Sikar, Rajasthan
3rd: Kumari Shraddha Satyawan Dhavan, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
NER/Himalayan Region:
Vijay Lata, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh
Pradeep Pangariya, Champawat, Uttarakhand
Best Dairy Cooperative Society/Milk Producer Company/Dairy FPO
Non-NER:
1st: Meenan Gadi Ksheerolpadaka Sahakarana Sangham Ltd, Wayanad, Kerala
2nd: Kunnamkattupathy Ksheerolpadaka Sahakarana Samgham, Palakkad, Kerala
2nd: Ghinoi Dugdh Utpadak Sahkari Samiti, Jaipur, Rajasthan
3rd: TYSPL 37 Sendurai Milk Producers Cooperative Society Ltd, Ariyalur, Tamil Nadu
NER/Himalayan Region:
Kulha Duud Udpadhak Sahkari Samiti, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand
Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT)
Non-NER:
1st: Dillip Kumar Pradhan, Anugul, Odisha
2nd: Vikas Kumar, Hanumangarh, Rajasthan
3rd: Anuradha Chakali, Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh
NER/Himalayan Region:
Deluwar Hasan, Barpeta, Assam
For the Best Dairy Farmer and Best Dairy Cooperative/FPO/MPC categories, the NGRA 2025 includes a certificate, memento and cash prizes: Rs.5 lakh for first place; Rs.3 lakh for second place; Rs.2 lakh for third place; and Rs.2 lakh special award for NER/Himalayan states.
In the Best AIT category, winners will receive a certificate and memento, with no cash prize.
Instituted under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission – launched in 2014 to promote scientific conservation of indigenous bovine breeds – the National Gopal Ratna Awards have been presented annually since 2021. The awards aim to recognise excellence among dairy farmers, cooperatives and artificial insemination technicians contributing to India’s dairy sector.