- Why in news
- On 28 September 2026, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying launched the Livestock Insurance Portal. It will run the Livestock Insurance activity of the National Livestock Mission.
- What it is
- The Livestock Insurance activity is part of the National Livestock Mission (NLM) of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying. It gives farmers insurance cover for their animals against losses such as death. The new portal puts policy issuance, claims and monitoring on one digital platform.
- Parent scheme
- Livestock insurance is an activity under the National Livestock Mission, run by DAHD.
- Portal functions
- The portal covers policy issuance, premium management, claim processing, beneficiary verification and real-time monitoring.
- Users on the platform
- Farmers, State Governments, Insurance Companies and implementing agencies share one interface.
- Coverage so far
- More than 30 lakh animals have been insured during the year, per the Secretary (AHD).
- Risks covered
- Cover is described as protection against mortality, disease outbreaks, accidents, natural calamities and other unforeseen risks.
- Functions
- One integrated platform for policy issuance, claim processing, monitoring and reporting for animals insured under the scheme.
- Languages
- The portal will work in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English.
- Implementing body
- The scheme belongs to the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
- Aim
- Make insurance services more transparent, efficient and accessible, and support real-time monitoring and data-driven management.
Don’t confuse with Livestock insurance vs PMFBY: PMFBY insures notified crops against yield loss. Livestock insurance covers animals under the National Livestock Mission.
Don’t confuse with Livestock Insurance Scheme vs crop insurance (PMFBY): The livestock scheme insures animals and is run by DAHD. PMFBY insures crops and is run by the Agriculture Ministry.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Faster, transparent claim settlement can cut financial shocks to rural households that depend on livestock income.
- Real-time data helps States and insurers track coverage and target the scheme better.
- Digital policy and claim handling can cut delays and leakage, and extend risk cover to small livestock keepers.
- Regional languages help reach farmers who do not use Hindi or English.
Problems
- Low awareness and premium affordability can keep small and marginal farmers from enrolling.
- Claim disputes, tagging and verification of animals remain hard on the ground.
- Low awareness and low insurance uptake among small and marginal livestock keepers.
- Digital access gaps and delays in claim settlement in rural areas.
Way forward
- Run awareness drives through States and insurers, as the Minister urged.
- Use portal data to find coverage gaps and speed up claim settlement.
- Train field staff and veterinarians to help farmers use the portal.
- Link the portal with animal tagging and health records so claims are verified faster.
Put in your answer
Coverage figure: More than 30 lakh animals were insured during the year, a data point on scheme reach.
Digital delivery example: A single portal for enrolment, claims and monitoring is an example of technology used for farmer welfare and transparency.
Portal as digital public service: Example of a single digital platform with regional-language access for farmer services.
- 2015Mains GS3 · Q2How can livestock rearing be promoted to generate non-farm rural employment and income in India?
- 2016Mains GS3 · Q10Why does Indian agriculture need crop insurance, and what are PMFBY's salient features?
- 2017Mains GS3 · Q15What is the significance of crop insurance for small and marginal farmers?
- 2026Prelims Q96Which statements on aviation insurance, including hull cover and passenger compensation liability, are correct?
- 2025Prelims Q30Statements on Rashtriya Gokul Mission for indigenous cattle and buffalo conservation
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Issue already on file; portal launch adds a new fact, but the scheme details are thin for a question.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.