National Milk Day

Tags: Important Days

National Milk Day is celebrated every year on 26 November to raise awareness about the importance of milk and its benefits.

Important facts

• This day is the birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, who is called the father of White Revolution.

• 2022 is the 101st birth anniversary of the “Milkman of India”, Dr. Verghese Kurien. 

• India is the largest producer of milk. Milk is such a food item that not only humans but animals also take it as food.

• India contributes 23 per cent of global milk production. 

• Milk production in India increased from 17 MT in 1950-51 to 209.96 MT in 2020-21. 

• World Milk Day is also celebrated every year on June 1, which was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization.

• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is observing this year's “National Milk Day” as a part of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” on 26th November 2022 in the silicon city of India, Bengaluru.

Background of the day

• The day was initiated by the Indian Dairy Association (IDA) in 2014.

• In the year 1970, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) started a rural development program called Operation Flood.

• This program was considered one of the largest and aimed to develop a milk grid throughout the country. 

• This made India the largest producer of milk and milk products. Later it came to be known as the White Revolution.

• White Revolution or Operation Flood focused on the objective of increasing the production of milk and augmenting the income of rural households.

Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying - Parshottam Rupala