The government wants to set up a cow shelter in each Indian district (Picture for representation)

There has a been an unmistakable outpour of love for the holy cow in the country over the last few months, if not years. Compared to other animals, the cow has always received a higher degree of protection under India's Constitution.

However, once a cow lives past the first eight to nine years of its average 14-15-year life span, it is incapable of yielding milk becoming a liability for the farmers. Owing to this, the farmers are compelled to sell off the unproductive cows, either to other farmers or slaughterhouse.

In order to prevent the dire situation, the central government proposed the setting up of 'sanctuaries' or cow shelters to take care of the aging and unproductive cattle. At present, India has around 122.98 million (a little over 12 crore) cows, according to the 2012 livestock census.

Interestingly, a look at the numbers reveal that the government's proposed expenditure on caring for unproductive cows far outstrips the amount of public money dedicated to the welfare for India's senior citizen populace.Going by even the most conservative calculation, the proposal to establish a cow shelter in each Indian district will have the government spending about Rs 778 crore every year on feeding India's unproductive cows (those that do not yield milk).

On the other hand, the government in 2014-15 had spent around Rs 22 crore on taking care of over 4,000 senior citizens in government-backed 187 old age homes, each with a capacity of 25, across India.

The 'one-cow-shelter-one-district' proposal would see the government sheltering over 3.5 lakh unproductive cows across the country. Incidentally, about 1 crore unproductive cows are added the overall cattle population each year in the country.

On the contrary, 4,675 (187 old age homes multiplied by their maximum capacity of 25) senior citizens form a small fraction of the country's 103.8 million old age population.

OLD COWS vs SENIOR CITIZENS For India's unproductive cows, the government wants 'sanctuaries' where the bovine animals can be nurtured. At a daily cost of Rs 60 for feeding a single cow, this would translate to the government spending Rs 60 crore every day (Rs 60 multiplied by 1 crore, the number of unproductive cows added every year) on feeding the cows. Of the country's billion-plus population, 103.8 million (around 10.4 crore) citizens were above the age of 60 at the end of 2011. About 50 per cent of these senior citizens were estimated to be financially dependent on others. For India's senior citizens, the government has the Central Sector Scheme of Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP), which provides grants for running and maintaining old age homes, day care centres, mobile medi-care units, among others. More practically, the money spent on cows and cow shelters would be lower. The Centre has submitted a report to the Supreme Court proposing the establishment of a shelter homes with a capacity to hold 500 abandoned cows in each Indian district. This would mean sheltering 3,53,500 cows (500 cows multiplied by 707 districts) across India. Under the one-shelter-one-district proposal, Rs 2 crore would be spend every day to feed India's cows (Rs 60 multiplied by 3,53,500 cows). For each shelter, considering it is packed to capacity, the government would spend Rs 30,000 every day or Rs 1.10 crore every year. If 707 shelters are established, the total expenditure would amount to Rs 777.7 crore ever year. Under the IPOP, the government provides Rs 11,94,500 every year for an old age home of 25 destitute senior citizens. This comes to Rs 131 spent on a single senior citizen every day, over double of what it takes to feed a cow. However, while the proposal to care for unproductive cows would see 707 shelters being set up, the number of old age homes being supported under the IPOP have been falling with each passing year. In 2012-13, 269 homes were covered under IPOP, while in 2013-14, the figure was 207. In 2014-15, the figure fell to 187, while in 2015-16 (until November 26, 2015), it reached 137.

Figures: Ministry of Social Justice, news reports

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