Moo-ID? Centre suggests UID for cows to prevent illegal transportation [Read Centre’s recommendations]

It might be hard to believe, but the humble cow might soon be accorded special status, with a Unique Identification (UID) scheme being proposed by the Centre to deal with the problem of illegal transportation of cattle..A Bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar and DY Chandrachud will tomorrow debate on the suggestions submitted by the Centre on the agenda of assigning a UID for cows..The submission by the Centre to have UID for cows came in a plea by Akhil Bharatiya Krishi Goseva Sangh to check the “depletion of indigenous livestock and unabated and unbridled illegal and wrongful smuggling of cattle to Bangaldesh through borders of India”..In today’s submissions to the apex court, the Centre submitted its willingness to create a UID, for those of the bovine ilk. Much like the Aadhaar, the UID will have details like age, breed, sex, lactation, height, body, colour, horn type, tail switch and special marks of the animal..The Centre’s recommendations state,.“The Ministry of Agriculture, GOI has devised a method of tamper proof identification of cattle using polyurethane tags with a Unique Identification Number Sequence. This may be made mandatory for all cow and its progeny throughout India for all cattle that is owned. Already mass tagging of cattle for insurance purpose is being done by Livestock Development Boards & Animal Husbandry Department of State Government…”.Not just that, the Centre has also planned a retirement scheme for the geriatric cows..Tweets by news agency ANI also hinted at special care for cows past the age of milking, and a scheme for farmers in distress, to discourage them from selling their cattle after its milking age, might possibly be put into effect. Toll free helplines will be set up where people will be asked to report any suspicious trafficking of cows..Further, the Centre, represented by Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, has said that a committee headed by the Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry has been formed to find out ways to generate this UID for each cow in India..Apart from these, the Centre has also floated the idea of increasing the fine payable for violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. It is suggested that the fine be revised and that all offences under the Act be made cognizable..Moreover, the recommendations made a reference to a Himachal Pradesh High Court order which directed the Centre to make a uniform legislation for cow protection across the country..Read the recommendations:.Image taken from here.