Indian & Foreign Cow Milk Same: Govt Refutes Own Cow Exam Syllabus

The national cow science exam syllabus claimed the milk of Indian cows is yellow as it contains traces of gold.

Two months after a proposed nationwide cow science examination, whose syllabus listed several differences between the milk of indigenous cows and foreign breeds, the government has stated in the Lok Sabha that there is “no conclusive information available regarding the difference between the quality” of Indian and foreign breeds.

The exam, called the ‘Kamdhenu Gau-Vigyan Prachar-Prasar Examination’ (National Cow Science examination), ran into controversy for its syllabus which, among its several contested claims, states that the milk of Indian cows is slightly yellow as it contains traces of gold.

The syllabus, in a comparison chart between the Indian ‘gaumata’ and the Jersey cow, claimed that as per scientific research, the Indian cow’s milk was the “best on earth”, protects people from harmful radiations and has several disease-curing properties while the foreign breed’s milk is “not at all good”, as it contains “poisonous chemicals” and should not be consumed.

On 9 March, the Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Sanjeev Balyan stated in a written reply in Lok Sabha that “as per the information received from ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), there is no conclusive information available regarding the difference between the quality of milk of foreign breeds of cows and indigenous cattle”.

Balyan’s written reply was in response to questions asked by YSR Congress MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy and BJP MP Dr Virendra Kumar on indigenous cattle breeds.

The Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA), which was incharge of preparing the syllabus and conducting the all-India examination, also comes within the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. It falls under the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying.

The examination, meant for school and college students as well as the general public, was announced on 5 January and scheduled to be held on 25 February. A week prior to the exam, it was postponed indefinitely. Over 5 lakh people had reportedly signed up for the online test.

Contested Claims on Cow Milk in the National Cow Science Examination

The intent of the exam, according to RKA, is reportedly to get students and general public interested in learning about the indigenous cow and its qualities.

Reacting to the pushback against the syllabus, which academics and scientists stated contains unscientific claims and “untruths”, RKA Chairman Vallabhai Kathiria said, "Nothing unscientific about it. We want to project its importance of the Indian breed of the cow. So, we are holding this exam.”

Bengal's BJP Chief Dilip Ghosh had said, “Indian cows have something special in their humps that turn sunshine into gold, which gives their milk its yellow colour,” NDTV reported.

Among the key claims made in reference to the milks of the native and foreign breeds are as follows:

• The quality of the Indian cow’s milk is the “best on earth” while the jersey variety’s milk is “not at all good”.
• The native cow’s milk is “potent in fighting against many diseases” while the exotic cow’s milk “contains poisonous chemical called casomorphine”.
• While the Indian cow’s milk is effective against “obesity, joint pain, asthma, mental illness”, the exotic breed’s milk is responsible for causing “diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and asthma”.
• While “gaumata milk” contains medical properties and is recommended by doctors, the milk of foreign breeds “should not be consumed”.
• The milk of Indian cows “is slightly yellow as it contains traces of gold” while it is “not the case with Jersey cow”.
• The hump or suryaketu naadi of the native breed can absorb Vitamin D from the sun’s rays and release it in their milk, the Jersey cow does not have suryaketu naadi.
• The Indian cow’s milk cleanses cholesterol from blood vessels and helps dispose of bad cholesterol, the exotic breed’s milk increases bad cholesterol.