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With the aim of boosting the rural economy in Uttar Pradesh and doubling the income of farmers, the Yogi government has taken a big step in the animal husbandry sector. Through the 'Mini Nandini Krishak Samriddhi Yojana' being run under the state's Nand Baba Milk Mission, the government is providing huge subsidy of up to 50 percent to the farmers and youth to start their own dairy farms. Under this scheme, direct financial assistance up to a maximum of ₹ 11.80 lakh is being given to the beneficiaries on setting up a dairy unit of 10 indigenous improved breed cows. What is Mini Nandini Krishak Samriddhi Yojana and its budget model? The main objective of Mini Nandini Krishak Samriddhi Yojana is to conserve and promote indigenous breed of cows with high milk production capacity in Uttar Pradesh. The total project cost of setting up a modern dairy unit for 10 cows has been fixed by the government at ₹23.60 lakh. The government bears 50 percent of this total cost i.e. maximum ₹ 11.80 lakh as grant (subsidy). The biggest feature of the scheme is that the beneficiary has to contribute only 15 percent of the total cost (approximately ₹ 3.54 lakh), while easy provision of bank loan has been made for the remaining 35 percent amount. If a cattle farmer does not want to take a bank loan, he can also fulfill this part from his own financial resources. Subsidy will come to the bank account through DBT in two phases. The amount of subsidy given by the government is transferred directly to the bank account of the beneficiary without middlemen through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). This financial assistance is released in two different installments: Phase I (25% grant): Once the beneficiary has completed the dairy shed, electricity, water and infrastructure, 25 percent of the project cost (approximately ₹ 5.90 lakh) is released after physical verification. Phase II (25% subsidy): After completion of the process of purchase, insurance and ear-tagging of all 10 eligible cows as per the prescribed standards, the remaining 25% subsidy is sent directly into the account. Which indigenous breeds will get the benefit and what are the conditions? Under this scheme, only recognized high quality Indian indigenous breed cows have been included. In this, mainly cows of Sahiwal, Gir and Tharparkar breed can be purchased. As per government guidelines, cows should be procured as far as possible from their original breeding tract or from recognized breeders outside Uttar Pradesh. The cow to be purchased should be of first or second calving and it should not have been more than 45 days since it gave birth to a calf. Also, to protect against any financial risk, it has been made completely mandatory to get ear tag and insurance of all the cattle. Eligibility and criteria required for application: To avail the benefits of the scheme, the applicant must be a permanent resident of Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this, the applicant should have at least 3 years of experience in cow rearing or Mahish rearing, which has been certified by the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) of the district. As far as land is concerned, approximately 0.20 acre (8,712 sq ft) is required for erecting the dairy unit structure and 0.80 acre for green fodder production or management. This land can be own, ancestral or taken on a registered lease of minimum 7 years. Old beneficiaries of previously operated Kamdhenu, Mini Kamdhenu or Mukhyamantri Swadeshi Gau-Samvardhan Yojana will not be eligible for this scheme. Online application and selection process: Interested cattle farmers can apply online by visiting the official portal of Nand Baba Milk Mission nandbabadugdhmission.up.gov.in. Aadhar card, residence certificate, bank passbook, 6 months bank statement, land documents and 3 years experience certificate have to be uploaded on the portal. If more applications are received in a district than the prescribed target, the beneficiaries are selected through E-Lottery by a committee headed by the Chief Development Officer (CDO) in a completely transparent system.