{
  "id": 1273518,
  "title": "UP plans 10,000 Go Mitras to involve Gen Z in cow protection drive",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/up-plans-10-000-go-mitras-to-involve-gen-z-in-cow-protection-drive",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-16T13:19:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/up-plans-10000-go-mitras-to-involve-gen-z-in-cow-protection-drive-10835955/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Uttar Pradesh government plans to train approximately 10,000 young volunteers, known as Go Mitras, to engage Generation Z in the state's cow protection program. The initiative, spearheaded by the Uttar Pradesh Go Seva Commission, aims to educate children and young people about cow protection, animal care, natural farming, and the social and economic significance of cattle in rural areas. Commission chairman Shyam Bihari Gupta revealed that master trainers will initially be trained, who will then pass on this knowledge to others in their respective villages. The government intends to prioritize individuals already passionate about cow protection and service.\n\nThis program aligns with the government's broader strategy to expand cow protection beyond shelter management and integrate it with rural livelihoods, natural farming, women's self-help groups, green energy, and employment opportunities. Gupta explained that village-level campaigns will focus on familiarizing children and young people with indigenous cattle breeds, proper cow care, natural farming techniques, and the environmental and economic aspects of cattle protection. The government aims to establish a network of trained individuals across villages using the master-trainer model.\n\nUttar Pradesh currently boasts over 7,500 cow shelters, which house more than 12 lakh stray cattle, according to the commission. The government has also increased the daily maintenance allowance for each cattle from Rs 30 to Rs 50. Many shelters have been equipped with CCTV surveillance systems. The government's primary objective is to offer secure shelter to stray cattle while minimizing crop damage caused by cattle wandering into agricultural fields. It also seeks to harness Uttar Pradesh's vast livestock population, which is the country's leading milk-producing region, to generate additional rural income and employment opportunities.\n\nThe program will integrate cow shelters with local industries, promoting economic activities based on cow dung and urine, such as producing cow-dung logs, cow-paint, vermicompost, incense sticks, planters, and lamps. Additionally, products like Panchgavya, Ghanamrit, and Jeevamrit are being promoted. Women's self-help groups are encouraged to participate in these activities to create local employment opportunities. The Go Seva Commission also plans to assess cow shelters across districts to determine activities that suit local resources and conditions. For example, districts with higher potential for biogas production may focus on energy generation, while others might develop units for organic manure, cow-dung products, or cow-urine-based products. The ultimate goal is to incorporate cow protection into the rural economy and create supplementary income sources for villages.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Uttar Pradesh plans to train 10,000 Go Mitras to engage Gen Z in cow protection.",
    "Master trainers will pass knowledge to others in villages using master-trainer model."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}