Centre to SC: Cows need Aadhaar-like identification too

Having a Unique Identification Number is no longer restricted to humans. In an effort to stop cow smuggling, the Centre has made a proposal to the Supreme Court recommending a 12-digit unique aadhaar number for every cow in the country.

Business Standard had earlier reported that the Union government is seeking such a tag for cattle so that they can be vaccinated on time and scientific intervention is available (Click here to read the report).

The animal husbandry department has assigned technicians to affix a tag with a 12-digit unique identification number inside the ears of cows.

Continuing with the digital drive enthusiasm, the Narendra Modi government intends to reach out to almost 88 million cows and buffaloes this year. For this, Rs 148 crore has been set aside, officials say.

So, how is the government milking the Aadhaar idea on cattle?

Nearly one lakh technicians have been armed with 50,000 tablets. Their mission is to affix a polyurethane tag on the ears of the cattle with a tag applicator. 

The yellow-colored tag is fixed in the centre of the ear lobe. These tags cost Rs 8 apiece and are light weighted.

Once the tag is fixed, the technician will use a tablet to update the number in an online database. He/she will also provide the cattle owner with an 'animal health card' recording the UID number, owner's details, status of periodic de-worming and vaccinations of the animal as well as breeding details. This will help track the cattle along with all relevant details.

Reportedly, these tags are tamper-proof and cannot be easily opened.

The government has fixed targets for all states to completed the task within 2017. For instance, in Uttar Pradesh, 1.4 million cattle have to have the tags every month while Madhya Pradesh has to tag 750,000 cattle per month. State governments will be provided funds for undertaking the programme. At present, just around 0.8 to 1 million cattle are tagged are India, reports Business Standard.

Is it safe and will it cause inconvenience to the cattle

The tag is made from thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer. According to a report published in Medical device by Prakash Vizzeswarapu, commercial development manager, NAFTA TPU Resins, Bayer Material Science, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers are now being increasingly used for medical applications due to the material’s desirable chemical properties, excellent mechanical characteristics and biocompatibility.

And no, it does not cause discomfort to the cattle as the tag weighs just eight grams. 

What good will these tags do?

India has nearly 41 million buffaloes and 47 million indigenous and cross-bred cows that produce milk. UP has the highest cattle population (16 million) in the country, followed by Madhya Pradesh (9 million), Rajasthan (8.4 million), Gujarat (6.2 million) and Andhra Pradesh (5.4 million).

The Indian milk economy is worth Rs 5 lakh crore, growing at a CAGR of 15-16 per cent, out of which the organised milk economy is worth Rs 80,000 crore. Hence, by tagging the cattle, the government aims to ensure that scientific intervention is made available for better breeding and assist in augmenting milk yields. The government wants to double the country’s milk production by 2020.