RTI for Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Department — Camel Conservation, Sheep-Goat Insurance, FMD Vaccination and Livestock Welfare Records

The Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Department oversees one of India's most ecologically distinctive and economically vital livestock economies — a sector shaped by centuries of desert pastoralism in the Thar and by indigenous breeds that are irreplaceable genetic resources. From the declining camel herds of the Raika community in Barmer to the sheep flocks of the Chokla breeders in Sikar, from FMD vaccination camps in Nagaur to the veterinary dispensaries serving nomadic herders in Jaisalmer, this department's records touch the lives of millions of rural Rajasthanis. The Right to Information Act, 2005 gives citizens, pastoralists, researchers, and civil society organisations a legally enforceable tool to scrutinise how government schemes, conservation laws, and veterinary services are actually working on the ground.

Governance Structure of the Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Department

The Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Department is headed by the Director of Animal Husbandry, whose principal office is located at Pant Krishi Bhawan, Jaipur. The Director is responsible for overall policy implementation, scheme administration, veterinary infrastructure management, and liaison with the Central Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying for centrally sponsored schemes.

At the district level, the department operates through District Animal Husbandry Officers (DAHOs) in all 33 districts of Rajasthan. The DAHO's office coordinates vaccination campaigns, livestock insurance scheme implementation, artificial insemination programmes, mobile veterinary unit deployment, and livestock census activities within the district. Below the DAHO, Block Animal Husbandry Officers (BAHOs) cover sub-district administrative blocks, and Veterinary Officers (VOs) manage individual government veterinary hospitals and veterinary dispensaries at the tehsil and village level.

The Rajasthan Camel Breeding Farm, Bikaner is a premier institution under the department — and the only government-run camel breeding farm in Asia. It maintains a herd of dromedary camels for scientific breeding, research, genetic preservation, and training in camel husbandry and camel milk production. The farm also serves as the nodal institution for coordinating with the Raika camel herder community on veterinary support and breed improvement.

The Wool Development Board (a Central Government body) and the Rajasthan Wool and Pashmina Department work in parallel to the Animal Husbandry Department on the sheep-wool economy, particularly for carpet-wool breeds in western Rajasthan and fine-wool Chokla/Nali breeds in the northeast. RTI applications about wool procurement prices, shearing camps, and cooperative wool auction records may need to be directed to these separate authorities.

The Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF), which markets its products under the Saras brand, operates as a separate entity from the Animal Husbandry Department. Saras dairy cooperatives (collecting bovine milk from farmers and pastoralists) fall under the Cooperation Department and are separate public authorities under the RTI Act. RTI applications about Saras milk procurement prices, cooperative society audit records, or RCDF scheme implementation must be directed separately to those institutions.

For RTI purposes, the Animal Husbandry Department — including the Director's office, all DAHOs, the Camel Breeding Farm Bikaner, and all subordinate veterinary hospitals and dispensaries — is a single public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, with CPIOs designated at each level.

Rajasthan's Livestock Sector: Scale and Significance

Rajasthan's livestock sector is not merely an economic activity — it is the foundation of livelihoods for millions of rural households across one of India's most arid landscapes. Several facts underscore its scale:

Sheep: Rajasthan has India's largest sheep population, estimated at over 75 million — more than 14% of the national count. The sheep economy in Rajasthan has two distinct dimensions: wool production (for carpet-weaving, especially in Bikaner, Barmer, Jodhpur, and Nagaur districts) and meat production. Rajasthan's wool production, particularly carpet-grade wool from the Marwari and Nali breeds, supplies a significant share of Rajasthan's globally exported hand-knotted carpet industry.

Goats: Rajasthan has India's second-largest goat population. Goat rearing is particularly important for small and marginal farmers and for landless herder communities as goats are resilient, require minimal capital investment, and provide a quick income source through meat sales.

Camels: Rajasthan holds over 80% of India's total camel population. The dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) has been designated as Rajasthan's state animal (2014), reflecting its cultural, historical, and ecological centrality to the state's identity. The camel's economic functions have historically included desert transport, well-irrigation (the charsa water-lift system), ploughing (in sandy terrain where bullocks struggle), and milk and wool (camel hair) production.

Cattle: Key indigenous cattle breeds concentrated in Rajasthan include the Tharparkar (Barmer/Jaisalmer), Rathi (Bikaner/Sri Ganganagar), Nagauri (Nagaur), and Kankrej (shared with Gujarat). These are heritage breeds of immense genetic value — several are listed as priority breeds under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission.

Horses: Rajasthan is the home of the Marwari horse — one of India's most iconic horse breeds, characterised by uniquely inward-curving ear tips. Bred by Rajput warriors over centuries for desert warfare, the Marwari is today bred by specialist breeders in Jodhpur, Barmer, and surrounding districts and is the subject of dedicated breed conservation efforts. The Kathiawari horse (shared with Gujarat) is another desert-adapted cavalry horse found in parts of Rajasthan.

Livestock density: The western districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Jodhpur hold the greatest concentration of camels, sheep, and goats relative to their human population, reflecting the dominance of agropastoralism and nomadic herding in these arid zones.

Indigenous Cattle Breeds of Rajasthan

Tharparkar Cattle

The Tharparkar is one of India's most celebrated indigenous cattle breeds, named after the Thar (Desert) and the Parkar region straddling the Barmer and Jaisalmer districts of Rajasthan and the Sindh province of Pakistan (the breed is also known as Thari or White Sindhi). The Tharparkar is a dual-purpose breed — remarkably productive for both milk yield and drought resistance. In good conditions, Tharparkar cows yield 1,500 to 2,000 litres of milk per lactation, making them a genuine milch breed despite being adapted to extreme aridity. Their ability to walk long distances in search of sparse desert vegetation and their tolerance of extreme heat (up to 50°C) make them irreplaceable in the ecological conditions of the Thar. The breed is a priority under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission's indigenous breed conservation programme.

Rathi Cattle

The Rathi is Rajasthan's premier milch breed, concentrated in Bikaner, Sri Ganganagar, and Hanumangarh districts. Named after the Rath area of Bikaner, the Rathi cow can yield 8 to 10 litres of milk per day under good management — exceptional for a Zebu (Bos indicus) breed — and is considered one of India's top indigenous dairy cattle breeds. The Rathi's milk, like all Zebu breeds, produces A2 beta-casein protein, which has attracted significant commercial interest in the premium milk market. Rathi bulls are also highly valued as semen donors for the artificial insemination programme, with the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI, Karnal) and state animal husbandry departments maintaining Rathi bull semen banks.

Nagauri Cattle

The Nagauri is a large-framed draught breed from the Nagaur district, traditionally prized for its power and endurance in sandy soil ploughing. Nagauri bullocks were historically the gold standard for agricultural draught work in the semi-arid zone — known for their speed and ability to work in deep sandy terrain. With the spread of mechanised farming, the demand for draught cattle has declined, putting the Nagauri breed under genetic pressure. The Rashtriya Gokul Mission includes Nagauri in its conservation mandate.

Kankrej Cattle

The Kankrej (also spelled Kankaj) is a large, powerful breed shared between the Rann of Kutch borderlands of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Known for its distinctive lyre-shaped horns and its enormous size (bulls can weigh over 600 kg), the Kankrej is both a draught and milch breed — used for heavy ploughing and cane crushing in the semi-arid zone, while also producing commercially useful quantities of A2 milk.

Indigenous Sheep Breeds of Rajasthan

Chokla Sheep

The Chokla — often called the Indian Merino — is the finest-woolled sheep breed in India, found primarily in the Sikar, Jhunjhunu, and Churu districts of the Shekhawati region of northeastern Rajasthan. Chokla wool is the only Indian sheep wool approaching Merino quality for fine textile use. It is in high demand by Rajasthan's carpet and shawl weaving industries. Chokla sheep are smaller-framed than the western Marwari breeds, adapted to the slightly less arid semi-arid conditions of the Aravalli foothills zone.

Nali Sheep

The Nali is a dual-purpose breed from Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar, and Bikaner districts, known for producing medium-grade carpet wool. Nali wool is particularly suited for Rajasthan's durrie (flat weave carpet) and traditional carpet weaving traditions. The breed is also raised for mutton.

Marwari Sheep

The Marwari sheep is the most widespread breed in western Rajasthan — found in Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, and surrounding districts. It produces coarse carpet-grade wool and is highly drought-tolerant, capable of surviving on sparse Thar Desert vegetation during the harshest summers. The Marwari sheep is the workhorse of Rajasthan's pastoral economy — large in number, resilient, and adapted to nomadic herding practices.

The Camel Crisis: Population Decline and the Rajasthan Camel Act 2015

Perhaps the most urgent conservation challenge documented in Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Department records is the dramatic collapse of the camel population. The scale of the decline is staggering:

• 20th Livestock Census (2019): India's total camel count — approximately 2.5 lakh (250,000) — a 37% fall in seven years.
• 19th Livestock Census (2012): India's camel count — approximately 4.7 lakh (470,000).

This collapse occurred despite the camel being designated Rajasthan's state animal in 2014, and despite the passage of the Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 2015. The 2015 Act prohibits: (a) the slaughter of camels within Rajasthan; (b) the export of camels out of Rajasthan for slaughter purposes; and (c) the temporary migration of camels across state borders without a valid permit issued by the competent authority. Violations attract criminal penalties including imprisonment and fines.

Root Causes of the Camel Decline

The camel crisis is rooted in several interconnected pressures:

Loss of Oran grazing land: Camels are browsers and long-distance walkers who cannot thrive in confinement or on cultivated fodder alone. They need access to large tracts of open, semi-arid scrubland — the Orans and gochar lands of the Thar. As these community pastures have been encroached upon, diverted for solar energy projects, or converted to agriculture, the camel herding economy has become economically unviable for Raika families.

Decline of traditional uses: The mechanisation of desert transport (trucks, tractors) and well irrigation (electric pumps) has largely eliminated the camel's roles in carting and charsa irrigation. The traditional market for camel power has evaporated.

Illegal slaughter despite protection: Despite the 2015 Act's prohibition, enforcement has been uneven. Cases of illegal camel slaughter and clandestine export of camel meat have continued. RTI applications can reveal the actual number of FIRs registered, the districts of origin, and the conviction rates — revealing whether enforcement is effective or nominal.

The Raika community's displacement: The Raika (also known as Rebari in parts of Rajasthan) are a caste community whose traditional occupation, social identity, and spiritual practice have been inseparably linked to camel herding for centuries. The Raika maintain detailed knowledge of camel genetics, traditional veterinary practices (including the use of plant-based medicines), and camel breeding selection criteria accumulated over generations. As camel herding has become economically non-viable, younger Raika are abandoning the livelihood, and with them goes irreplaceable knowledge. Several NGOs — including Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (LPPS) in Sadri, Pali — have documented Raika camel herding culture and advocated for policy reforms to restore Oran access and create camel milk markets.

Camel Milk Economy

One potentially transformative development is the recognition of camel milk as a commercially valuable product. Camel milk has several distinctive nutritional properties: it contains bioactive compounds including immunoglobulins (similar to antibodies), lower lactose content than cow milk (potentially more digestible for lactose-sensitive individuals), and has been studied in peer-reviewed research for potential anti-diabetic and immunomodulatory properties. In Rajasthan, camel milk is being marketed through small-scale enterprises — the Rajasthan Camel Breeding Farm Bikaner has been involved in demonstrating camel milking and milk processing techniques. If viable commercial supply chains can be established connecting Raika herders to urban markets, camel milk could create sufficient economic incentive to reverse the herd decline. RTI applications to the Camel Breeding Farm can reveal the status of camel milk development programmes, budget allocations, and outcomes.

Oran Lands: Sacred Community Pastures Under Pressure

Oran lands are the invisible foundation of Rajasthan's pastoral economy — and their disappearance is the single most important driver of camel and livestock herd collapse in the state.

An Oran (from the Sanskrit word aranya, meaning wilderness or forest) is a sacred community pasture traditionally associated with a village or cluster of villages in Rajasthan. Orans are often consecrated to a local deity — the Bishnoi community's Orans, for instance, are sacred to Guru Jambheshwar (founder of the Bishnoi faith), who commanded his followers to protect trees, animals, and the land. Raika Orans are associated with the camel herder deity Pabuji, whose folk epic celebrates the original gift of camels to humanity. These are not merely legal land categories — they are living cultural landscapes embedded in the social and spiritual fabric of Rajasthan's rural communities.

In revenue records, Orans may be classified as gochar (gazing land), oran, devbhoomi (deity's land), or under other community land categories in Jamabandi records. Their total area across Rajasthan is significant — estimates suggest millions of hectares of nominally protected community land — but the actual protected status of much of this land is now contested.

The pressures on Oran lands include:

• Agricultural encroachment by individual farmers who plough up the open scrub.
• Solar energy projects — western Rajasthan has become a massive solar energy investment zone, and solar developers and the state government have diverted large tracts of open land for solar parks, some of which overlap with Oran and community pasture lands.
• Forest plantation drives — afforestation programmes have sometimes converted open-scrub Oran lands to closed-canopy plantations of exotic tree species, which eliminates the browse layer that camels, goats, and sheep depend on.
• Government diversion for development — roads, government buildings, and residential schemes have encroached on Oran boundaries in peri-urban areas.

RTI is a powerful tool to investigate the status of specific Oran lands — the DAHO's office may have records of pastoral community complaints, while the District Collector's office and Tehsildar's records (Jamabandi/Girdawari) hold the revenue classification data.

Sheep and Goat Insurance: NMAH and State Schemes

Livestock insurance is one of the most important safety nets for small and marginal farmers and pastoral families in Rajasthan, where drought, disease, and predation regularly cause catastrophic livestock losses. The National Mission on Animal Husbandry (NMAH) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying provides a framework for centrally subsidised livestock insurance. Several states, including Rajasthan, also operate their own Mukhya Mantri Pashu Bima Yojana or equivalent state-funded livestock insurance schemes, particularly targeting below-poverty-line (BPL) farmers and marginalised pastoral communities.

Under these insurance schemes, the government subsidises the premium payable by livestock owners (the subsidy proportion is higher for SC/ST and BPL beneficiaries). The insured livestock — typically cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, and camels — are covered against mortality due to disease, accident, or natural calamity. Claims must be filed with supporting documentation including a veterinary post-mortem certificate confirming the cause of death.

RTI applications can reveal:

• The number of sheep and goats insured under each scheme in a district for each year.
• The premium amount paid by beneficiaries versus the subsidy provided.
• The number of claims filed, settled, and rejected, and the total compensation paid.
• The reasons recorded for claim rejections (a common grievance among pastoral families is that claims are rejected on technical grounds such as missing ear tags or incomplete documentation).
• The number of pending appeals against rejected claims.

FMD Vaccination and the National Animal Disease Control Programme

Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is among the most economically damaging livestock diseases in India, causing significant productivity losses in cattle and buffaloes (reduced milk yield, reduced draught capacity, occasional mortality in calves and animals with severe secondary infections). The National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) — launched in 2019 by the Central Government — commits to achieving FMD-free status for India by vaccinating 100% of cattle and buffaloes with biannual vaccination rounds, combined with vaccination of sheep, goat, and pig populations for FMD and PPR (Peste des Petits Ruminants) control.

In Rajasthan, the Animal Husbandry Department is responsible for implementing NADCP vaccination campaigns at the district level. The DAHO's office procures FMD vaccines (quadrivalent vaccines covering serotypes O, A, C, and Asia-1 commonly used in India), maintains cold chain infrastructure (refrigerated storage at district and block levels to preserve vaccine potency), and organises vaccination camps at the village or gram panchayat level.

RTI applications can access:

• The village-wise count of cattle and buffaloes vaccinated in each round, verifying whether the target population was actually reached.
• The vaccine brand, manufacturer, batch number, and quantity procured and administered — allowing comparison between procurement records and vaccination numbers.
• Cold chain audit reports and vaccine storage inspection records — revealing whether vaccines were stored at the correct temperature (typically 2–8°C) and whether any cold chain failures occurred (cold chain failures can render vaccines ineffective, meaning animals were vaccinated but are not protected).
• PPR vaccination records for the sheep and goat population — important because PPR is a major killer of small ruminants in Rajasthan.

Cold chain integrity is a persistent concern in resource-constrained districts. RTI disclosures about cold chain failures or stockouts can create pressure for infrastructure improvements that directly protect livestock livelihoods.

Rashtriya Gokul Mission: Indigenous Breed Conservation

The Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) — launched in 2014 under the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying — is India's flagship programme for the conservation and development of indigenous cattle breeds. In Rajasthan, the mission focuses on four priority breeds: Tharparkar, Rathi, Nagauri, and Kankrej. Key components of RGM include:

Breed registration: Recording pedigree data and phenotypic characteristics of high-quality indigenous animals in breed databases maintained by the department.

Semen stations and bull selection: Identifying top-quality bulls of indigenous breeds, housing them at departmental semen stations, and producing semen doses for use in the Artificial Insemination (AI) programme.

Artificial Insemination programme: Extending AI services to remote villages through trained AI technicians and community-level Pashu Sakhi (women AI workers trained under the Pashu Sakhi scheme). AI with indigenous breed semen allows genetic improvement of village livestock without requiring farmers to transport animals.

Breed improvement camps (Gokul Grams): Organising camps where high-quality bulls are brought to villages for natural service or demonstration, and where farmers receive training in animal nutrition, udder hygiene, and disease prevention.

RTI applications can reveal the number of AI cases performed in a district, the breed and source of semen used, the success rates (conception rates), and whether the budget allocated for RGM was actually spent on the ground versus lapsed or diverted.

Veterinary Infrastructure: Hospitals, Dispensaries and Mobile Units

Rajasthan's government veterinary infrastructure — spanning government veterinary hospitals (GVHs), veterinary dispensaries (VDs), and mobile veterinary units — is the primary public health safety net for the livestock of small and marginal farmers, particularly in remote and desert districts where private veterinarians are absent.

Government veterinary hospitals at the tehsil or sub-district level provide OPD treatment for sick animals, diagnostic services, surgical procedures (castration, dehorning, obstetrical assistance), and vaccination. Veterinary dispensaries at the village or cluster level provide basic OPD and preventive services.

Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs) — equipped vehicles with medicines, basic diagnostic equipment, and a veterinary officer — are deployed to reach remote villages where permanent veterinary facilities are absent or where nomadic herding populations are camped. RTI applications can establish whether mobile unit visits actually occurred in specified villages, verifying field reports against government records.

Common grievances against government veterinary services include: medicines being out of stock at dispensaries, veterinary officers being absent from headquarters during working hours, refusal to issue post-mortem certificates needed for insurance claims, and inadequate response to disease outbreak reports. RTI applications requesting OPD figures, medicine procurement and dispensing records, and complaint registers can build an evidence base for accountability claims.

How to File an RTI Application with the Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Department

Step 1: Identify the correct CPIO. For district-level information — vaccination records, insurance data, veterinary service records, camel FIR records — file with the CPIO, District Animal Husbandry Officer (DAHO) of your district. For state-level or policy data — consolidated state figures, Camel Breeding Farm Bikaner records, Director's-level circulars — file with the CPIO, Office of the Director of Animal Husbandry, Pant Krishi Bhawan, Jaipur – 302005.

Step 2: Draft the application specifically. Use the sample RTI above as a template. Specify the district name, the time period, the scheme name, and the type of record. For example: "FMD vaccination records for Nagaur district, Round I 2023-24, broken down by gram panchayat." Vague applications produce incomplete or evasive responses.

Step 3: File online via rtionline.gov.in. Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Department accepts RTI applications through the Central Government's RTI Online portal at rtionline.gov.in. Register or log in, select the correct department and office, fill the application form, and pay the ₹10 fee online. BPL cardholders may claim the fee exemption.

Step 4: File offline if preferred. Send a typed application by registered post or speed post to the CPIO at the relevant office. Enclose a crossed Indian Postal Order (IPO) for ₹10 drawn in favour of the Accounts Officer, Animal Husbandry Department, Rajasthan (or as specified for the particular office). Retain the postal receipt, the IPO counterfoil, and a photocopy of the complete application.

Step 5: Track the response. The CPIO must respond within 30 days of receipt. If the response does not arrive within 30 days, or is incomplete or unsatisfactory, file a First Appeal.

Legal Framework: Sections and Timelines

All Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Department offices, including all DAHOs and the Camel Breeding Farm Bikaner, are public authorities under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, legally required to designate CPIOs and respond to RTI applications.

• Section 6: Governs the filing of RTI applications; no reason is required for seeking information.
• Section 7(1): Requires the CPIO to provide information within 30 days of receipt.
• Section 7(1) proviso: Reduces response time to 48 hours where information concerns life or liberty — relevant if, for example, you are seeking records about a disease outbreak that is threatening livestock on which a family's survival depends.
• Section 19(1) — First Appeal: File with the FAA (the officer immediately senior to the CPIO) within 30 days of the date of the CPIO's decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. No fee payable.
• Section 19(3) — Second Appeal: File with the Rajasthan State Information Commission (RSIC) within 90 days of the FAA's decision or the expiry of the FAA's response period. RSIC — NOT the CIC — is the correct appellate body for all Rajasthan state authorities.
• Section 20 — Penalty: RSIC can impose a penalty of ₹250 per day on the defaulting CPIO, up to a maximum of ₹25,000, and recommend disciplinary action.

Practical Tips for Pastoralists, NGOs, and Researchers

For Raika and Rebari herders seeking Oran land records: File RTI with both the DAHO's office (for pastoral community complaints received) and the District Collector / Tehsildar's office (for revenue records of Oran classification under Jamabandi). The two sets of records together give a complete picture.

For livestock insurance claimants whose claims were rejected: Request the specific reason recorded for rejection and a copy of the file noting on your claim. If the rejection reason is a curable defect (such as a missing ear-tag certificate that the department itself failed to provide), the RTI disclosure creates grounds for a grievance appeal.

For FMD vaccination monitoring: Request village-wise or gram-panchayat-wise vaccination data separately from the district-level aggregate. The village-level data reveals whether vaccination coverage is genuinely universal or whether remote habitations of nomadic herders are systematically missed.

For camel protection advocacy: Request the FIR register for the relevant district for the period covered by the RTI, asking specifically for FIRs registered under the Rajasthan Camel Act 2015. The conviction rate data (final outcome of each FIR) reveals whether prosecutions are actually succeeding.

For researchers on breed conservation: Request the AI case records and semen dose distribution data under RGM at the district level. Compare indigenous breed AI cases (Tharparkar, Rathi, Nagauri, Kankrej) versus crossbred/exotic breed AI cases (Jersey, HF) to assess whether the department is genuinely prioritising indigenous breed improvement or continuing to push exotic breed semen despite the policy shift to indigenous breeds.

Note the First Appeal deadline precisely: The 30-day window for a First Appeal runs from the date of the CPIO's decision or from the end of the 30-day response window — whichever is earlier. Count carefully from the acknowledgement date or postal delivery proof date.