BAIF Livestock Technician, Sri. Bhaskar Padhan, is the proud recipient of the prestigious National Gopal Ratna Award for “Best Artificial Insemination Technician” for the year 2024. This award, instituted by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, is a recognition of his excellent service to the rural community through efficient breeding and advisory services at their doorsteps, resulting in improved herd productivity, milk yield and enhanced income for the families.
With a background in Arts, Mr. Bhaskar Padhan, an Artificial Insemination (AI) Technician from Kanpur village, Ulunda block of Sonepur district of Odisha, took up farming as an occupation. The turning point in his life came in 2011 when he joined the BAIF Livestock Development Programme as a self-employed youth (SEY) with the S. Mahada Cattle Development Centre. Since then, Bhaskar has been providing breeding services to 1500 to 2000 families in 32 villages within a radius of 8 to 10 km. With adoption of cutting edge technologies such as sex sorted semen, genomic evolution and goat AI, he has improved the herd productivity as well as income of livestock keepers. His significant achievements include conducting 26,800 cattle AIs recording birth of 11,200 calves and performing 2,800 Sorted Semen (SS) inseminations which have resulted in the production of 1,120 calves.
Bhaskar has been making news for a long time with ”Best AI Technician Award” by the Animal Resources Development Department in 2021, “Best Dairy Farmer Award” for Sonepur district by the F&ARD Department in 2011 and multiple state-level recognitions by BAIF, including first position in Conventional Semen (2017) and second position in Sorted Semen (2017). Bhaskar has been constantly upgrading his skills through various training programmes conducted by BAIF and The Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited (OMFED).
With this national recognition, Bhaskar’s dedicated services have transformed the lives of countless farmers and also brought glory to BAIF Odisha for the third consecutive time. He is a role model for livestock technicians across Odisha as well as in the country.
