Natural farming · the cow economy · village enterprise
Gaukrishi DarpanResearch Centre
गौकृषि दर्पण अनुसंधान केंद्र
An open library on natural farming, indigenous cattle, biogas and village enterprise, for farmers, students and researchers. Free, built on official sources, and honest about what is proven and what is not.
The cow in our sources
Reverence, written down
Three texts, from the Rigveda to the Constitution of India, each in its own words.
A name for the cow in the Rigveda. The Monier-Williams Sanskrit dictionary gives aghnya as “not to be killed”, and aghnyā as “a cow”.
Source: Monier-Williams, via wisdomlib.org“Among cows, I am Kāmadhuk”: the wish-fulfilling cow, Kamadhenu.
Source: Bhagavad Gita 10.28, vedabase.ioA Directive Principle of State Policy, in Part IV.
Source: Article 48, constitutionofindia.netArticle 48 itself joins the two halves of this centre: “modern and scientific lines” and the care of cattle. Reverence is our starting point; evidence is our method.
Six areas of study
From the field to the village economy
Each area begins from an official programme, so that what we study can be checked against what the Government of India has already set out.
| Area | What we study | Official anchor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Natural farmingप्राकृतिक खेती | On-farm inputs such as jeevamrit and beejamrit, mulching and mixed cropping; yields, costs and soil health, compared honestly. | National Mission on Natural FarmingApproved 25 November 2024 |
| 2 Indigenous breedsदेसी नस्लें | The conservation and improvement of indigenous cattle, Gujarat’s Gir and Kankrej among them, and the care of cattle after their milking years. | Rashtriya Gokul MissionImplemented since December 2014 |
| 3 Bio-inputsजैव आदान | Compost, vermicompost and dung- and urine-based bio-inputs: what is proven, what is promising, and what is only traditional. | Bio-input Resource Centres10,000 planned under the Mission |
| 4 Biogas and bio-CBGबायोगैस | Village biogas plants, and compressed biogas from dung and farm waste, such as the plant at Dama, Banaskantha. | GOBARdhan2018; Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase 2, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation |
| 5 Village enterpriseग्राम उद्यम | Producer groups, local markets and certification for organic and natural produce, and the Krishi Sakhis who carry the knowledge. | Paramparagat Krishi Vikas YojanaCluster-based organic farming, since 2015–16 |
| 6 Evidence and farmer knowledgeप्रमाण और किसान-ज्ञान | Recording farmers’ own methods with respect, and taking them to field testing. | Krishi Vigyan Kendras and ICAR660 KVKs in the National Agricultural Research System |
Evidence labels
Every claim carries exactly one label
A label changes only when new evidence arrives, and every change is dated. Respect for tradition never stands in for a trial.
Tested, and published
Shown in controlled field or laboratory trials, with results published by a research body such as ICAR or an agricultural university.
For example: biogas from cattle dung.
Encouraging, not settled
Demonstrations or early results look good, but trials are still running or results are mixed.
For example: the natural farming package now on demonstration farms at KVKs and agricultural universities.
Recorded with respect
Used by farmers and passed down, but not yet tested in a trial. Recorded faithfully, and offered for testing.
For example: a farmer’s own seasonal remedy, written down until a trial is run.
The open research library · the seed
Official sources first
The library begins with official pages only, each checked on 6 October 2026. The label on each card applies to the practice named under it; institutions carry no label, because they are where labels are earned.
National Mission on Natural Farming
Approved by the Union Cabinet with an outlay of ₹2,481 crore, to reach one crore farmers, begin natural farming on 7.5 lakh hectares, set up 10,000 Bio-input Resource Centres and about 2,000 model demonstration farms at KVKs, agricultural universities and farmers’ fields.
Promising, being studiedfor the natural farming package pmindia.gov.in Natural farming portalNatural Farming: A Sustainable Way of Farming
The official portal on natural farming, which describes it as farming “based on locally available resources”.
Promising, being studiedfor natural farming practices naturalfarming.dac.gov.in Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal ShaktiGOBARdhan
Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan: the unified registration portal for biogas plants under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).
Proven in trialsfor biogas from cattle dung gobardhan.sbm.gov.in Department of Animal Husbandry and DairyingRashtriya Gokul Mission
Implemented since December 2014 for the development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds.
Proven in trialsfor genetic improvement through breeding dahd.gov.in Press Information Bureau · Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare · 4 February 2025Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana
Since 2015–16, end-to-end support to organic farmers, “from production to processing, certification and marketing”, in clusters.
Promising, being studiedfor cluster-based organic farming pib.gov.in National Dairy Development Board, AnandDevelopment of the Gir breed
Gir’s main breeding tract is Saurashtra (Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh including Gir-Somnath, and Rajkot); Kankrej is Gujarat’s other promising breed. The booklet describes a pedigree-selection project to improve Gir’s milk in its native tract.
Proven in trialsfor genetic improvement by pedigree selection nddb.coop Prime Minister’s Office · 19 April 2022Banas Dairy, Banaskantha
The organic manure and biogas plant at Dama, Gujarat, dedicated to the nation, and the foundation stones of four 100-tonne gobar gas plants at Khimana, Ratanpura-Bhildi, Radhanpur and Thawar.
Proven in trialsfor biogas and manure from cattle dung pmindia.gov.in Indian Council of Agricultural ResearchKrishi Vigyan Kendras
660 KVKs, an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System, assessing location-specific technology for farmers.
Institutionwhere labels are earned kvk.icar.gov.in Department of Agricultural Research and EducationIndian Council of Agricultural Research
The national council for agricultural research and education, whose institutes and trials the library cites first.
Institutionwhere labels are earned icar.org.inHow farmers and students contribute
Knowledge comes in from the field
The library is open in both directions: it gives freely, and it learns from the people who farm.
Farmers
Share a practice you use: what, how, in which season, and what you saw. It is recorded with your village’s name or without a name, as you choose, labelled “Traditional practice, not yet tested”, and offered to a KVK for testing.
Students
Field notebooks for school projects: measure the soil, count a yield, read a biogas meter. Results are shared openly with the teacher’s consent and become part of the library’s record.
Researchers and KVKs
Send published trial results. A label moves only on such evidence, and the library shows who tested what, where and when.
- ShareA farmer or a student sends a practice or a result.
- LabelIt enters the library with one honest label.
- TestA KVK or research body runs a trial, where it can.
- RelabelThe label changes on evidence, with the date.
What we will never do
Guardrails for a sensitive subject
- Publish health or medical claims for cow products that have not been proven in clinical trials
- Sell, endorse or advertise any product
- Publish a claim without its evidence label and its source
- Publish a farmer’s name or data without consent
- Take sides in politics: the library reports evidence, not slogans
Bring a practice from your field
Every village knows something worth testing
Farmers, teachers, students and KVK scientists: join the Darpan community and help the library grow.
Sources for this page
- Launch of the National Mission on Natural Farming pmindia.gov.in, 25 November 2024
- Natural farming portal naturalfarming.dac.gov.in
- GOBARdhan unified registration portal Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
- GOBARdhan (2018) under SBM (Grameen) Phase 2 The Tribune
- Rashtriya Gokul Mission Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
- Development of Gir (breeding tract; Kankrej; pedigree selection) National Dairy Development Board
- Banas Dairy projects, Diyodar, Banaskantha, 19 April 2022 pmindia.gov.in
- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana Press Information Bureau, 4 February 2025
- Krishi Vigyan Kendra portal ICAR
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research icar.org.in
- Article 48, Constitution of India constitutionofindia.net
- Bhagavad Gita 10.28 vedabase.io
- aghnya, aghnyā: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary wisdomlib.org