The government has unveiled SUTRA PIC programme to research on ‘indigenous’ cows.

SUTRA PIC

• SUTRA PIC stands for Scientific Utilization Through Research Augmentation-Prime Products from Indigenous Cows.
• To be funded by multiple scientific ministries, the initiative, SUTRA PIC, is led by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• It has the Department of Biotechnology, the CSIR, the Ministry for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy) among others and the Indian Council of Medical Research as partners.
• It has five themes:

1. Uniqueness of Indigenous Cows,
2. Prime-products from Indigenous Cows for Medicine and Health,
3. Prime-products from Indigenous Cows for Agricultural Applications,
4. Prime-products from Indigenous Cows for Food and Nutrition,
5. Prime-products from indigenous cows-based utility items

Aims and objectives

The proposals under this theme aim to:

• perform scientific research on the complete characterization of milk and milk products derived from Indian indigenous cows;
• scientific research on nutritional and therapeutic properties of curd and ghee prepared from indigenous breeds of cows by traditional methods;
• development of standards for traditionally processed dairy products of Indian-origin cow

Other facts

• In 2017, SEED constituted a National Steering Committee (NSC) for ‘Scientific Validation and Research on Panchgavya (SVAROP)’.
• Panchgavya is an Ayurvedic panacea and is a mixture of five (pancha) products of the cow (gavya) — milk, curd, ghee, dung and urine.
• Its proponents believe it can cure, or treat a wide range of ailments.

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