UP Plans Cow-Based Entrepreneurship Model For SC-ST Women And Youth, Emphasis On Self-Reliance And Traditional Practices

In a joint initiative aimed at promoting rural self-reliance and women's empowerment, Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) women and youth in villages will soon be linked to the cow-based economy. The move, designed to foster entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities, was agreed upon in a meeting between the Gauseva Aayog and the SC-ST Aayog held on Friday.

Chaired by Shyam Bihari Gupta, Chairman of the Gauseva Aayog, and Baijnath Rawat, Chairman of the SC-ST Aayog, the meeting outlined a plan to provide entrepreneurship training and production support to SC-ST women in selected villages. The initiative will begin as a pilot project in selected districts over the next three months.

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Under this scheme, Gaushalas (cow shelters) will be developed as centres for training, production, and marketing of cow-based products. These include cow dung products, biogas units, Panchgavya items, and cow urine therapy products. The idea is to generate income and empower rural communities through sustainable practices rooted in traditional resources.

Initially, the focus will be on women from SC-ST communities living near large cow conservation centres. Later, interested male members from these families may also be involved based on requirements.

The meeting was also attended by Vice Chairpersons of the SC-ST Commission, Bechan Ram and Jeet Singh Kharwar, along with P.S. Ojha of the Pravruddha Foundation.

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Officials say this model has the potential to become a scalable and sustainable solution for rural livelihood generation while also supporting cow conservation efforts in the state.