The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying has invited nominations for the National Gopal Ratna Award 2026, which recognizes contributions to the development of indigenous bovine breeds under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission launched in December 2014.
The awards will be presented in three categories: Best Dairy Farmer rearing indigenous cattle/buffalo breeds, Best Dairy Cooperative Society/Milk Producer Company/Dairy Farmer Producer Organization, and Best Artificial Insemination Technician. There is a special provision for North Eastern Region and Himalayan States to encourage dairy development activities in these regions.
For the dairy farmer and cooperative categories, the monetary prizes are ₹5,00,000 for first rank, ₹3,00,000 for second rank, ₹2,00,000 for third rank, and ₹2,00,000 for the special NER/Himalayan States award. Artificial Insemination Technicians will receive only a certificate of merit and memento without cash prize.
Nominations must be submitted online through the National Award portal (https://awards.gov.in) from August 10, 2026, to September 10, 2026. The awards will be conferred on National Milk Day, November 26, 2026. Detailed eligibility criteria and guidelines are available on awards.gov.in or dahd.nic.in.