Consider the following statements about the Rashtriya Gokul Mission: [Government programs & schemes]

I. It is important for the upliftment of rural poor as majority of low producing indigenous animals are with small and marginal farmers and landless labourers.

II. It was initiated to promote indigenous cattle and buffalo rearing and conservation in a scientific and holistic manner.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct option is Both I and II.

To understand why both statements are correct, let us analyze the objectives and socio-economic impact of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM):

Analysis of Statement I:
The majority of indigenous cattle and buffaloes in India are owned by small and marginal farmers, as well as landless agricultural labourers. These animals typically have lower productivity compared to exotic breeds. By focusing on genetic upgradation and productivity enhancement of these indigenous breeds, the Rashtriya Gokul Mission directly helps in increasing the milk yield and income of these vulnerable groups. Therefore, the scheme is highly critical for the socio-economic upliftment of the rural poor. This makes Statement I correct.

Analysis of Statement II:
The Rashtriya Gokul Mission was launched by the Government of India in December 2014 with the key focus of conserving and developing indigenous bovine breeds. The scheme aims to promote indigenous cattle and buffalo rearing and conservation in a scientific and holistic manner, using advanced technologies like breed multiplication farms, IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization), sex-sorted semen, and genomic selection. This makes Statement II correct.

Since both Statement I and Statement II are correct, the correct option is "Both I and II".