Maharashtra Government on Monday declared desi (indigenous) cows as ‘Rajyamata-Gomata’ considering factors like their significance since Vedic period, an official notification said.

The other factors include the importance of indigenous cow milk in human nutrition, ayurvedic and panchgavya treatment and use of cow manure in organic farming, the government resolution, issued by the state Agriculture, Dairy Development, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department said.

The decision, which comes ahead of the state assembly elections, underscores the cow’s spiritual, scientific, and historical significance in Indian society, an official said. It highlights the integral role that cows have played in India’s cultural landscape for centuries, he added.

By taking this decision, the state government has underscored the agricultural benefits of cow dung, which enhances soil fertility and contributes to human nutrition and shows the government’s efforts to promote sustainable farming practices, he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Fiona Harvey claims the streaming giant told “brutal lies” about her to more than 50 million viewers. 

​Fiona Harvey claims the streaming giant told “brutal lies” about her to more than 50 million viewers.  

The Maharashtra government has conferred the title ‘Rajya Mata’ on indigenous cows to boost their welfare. A new subsidy scheme offers Rs 50 per day for rearing these cows in goshalas. Managed by the Maharashtra Goseva Commission, this initiative seeks to support struggling goshalas and reverse the declining population of indigenous cows.