- Why in news
- On 18 March 2026 the government told the Lok Sabha about White Revolution 2.0, which aims to set up 75,000 new dairy cooperative societies in five years, and listed the dairy schemes behind India's milk output.
- What it is
- White Revolution 2.0 is a dairy cooperative expansion programme run jointly by the Ministry of Cooperation and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. It brings Panchayats without a dairy cooperative into the cooperative network. It builds on the Operation Flood model of farmer-owned dairy cooperatives.
- Launch and ministries
- Launched on 19 September 2024 by the Ministry of Cooperation and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
- Rashtriya Gokul Mission
- Running since December 2014. It includes sex-sorted semen and IVF technology, and aims at conserving indigenous breeds and genetic upgradation of bovines.
- NPDD digital tools
- The National Programme for Dairy Development funds Data Processor and Automated Milk Collection Units. These enable digital records and direct bank payment to farmers.
- AHIDF
- The Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund gives 3% per annum interest subvention for livestock product processing and diversification infrastructure.
- Cooperative membership
- About 1.7 crore farmers are members of dairy cooperatives, nearly 38% of them women.
Don’t confuse with White Revolution 2.0 vs Operation Flood: Operation Flood (1970) was the original National Dairy Development Board-led dairy cooperative programme. White Revolution 2.0 (2024) is the new push to cover uncovered Panchayats.
Don’t confuse with NPDD vs RGM: NPDD builds milk testing, chilling and processing infrastructure and supports cooperatives. RGM focuses on indigenous breeds and cattle genetics.
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
- Brings small and women farmers into organised markets and gives them a regular income.
- Supports nutritional security and rural jobs through cooperative coverage of uncovered areas.
Problems
- State targets are uneven, and the large numbers need fresh societies to remain viable.
- Productivity gains must continue so the added cooperatives have enough milk to procure.
Way forward
- Link new societies to chilling, testing and processing capacity, and to digital payment systems.
- Train and finance women members and monitor milk procurement state by state.
Put in your answer
Productivity gain: Average cattle and buffalo productivity rose 36.63%, from 1648.17 kg per animal per year in 2013-14 to 2251 kg in 2024-25.
Global position: India has been the largest milk producer since 1998 and gives about 25% of global output.
Per capita availability: Per capita milk availability is 485 grams per day, above the ICMR recommended level.
- 2017Mains GS3 · Q4Explain agricultural revolutions after independence and their role in poverty alleviation and food security.
- 2015Mains GS3 · Q2Discuss how to promote livestock rearing for non-farm rural employment and income in India.
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: Lasting dairy cooperative scheme launched 19 September 2024 with a 75,000-society target. Few testable facts beyond that, so no question.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.