Agriculture Ministry notifies 16 new indigenous livestock and dog breeds, including Tamil Nadu's Kombai dog

25 October 2026 · English Agriculture

Topics: Agriculture, Infrastructure & Governance · 25 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

Through a gazette notification dated 16 Oct 2026, the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, recognised 16 new indigenous breeds from 13 States and the UT of Jammu & Kashmir. ICAR had registered them in Aug 2026 on the recommendation of the 14th meeting of its Breed Registration Committee (BRC); ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal, gave the accession numbers. The only dog breed is Tamil Nadu's Kombai (accession INDIA_DOG_1800_KOMBAI_19006). India's registered breeds now total 262 (258 indigenous + 4 synthetic).

Key facts

Background

• ICAR-NBAGR (National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources) – Karnal, Haryana; the nodal agency for registering livestock and poultry breeds. It studies physical and genetic data and assigns accession numbers. The Breed Registration Committee is chaired by ICAR's Deputy Director General (Animal Science). The National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) is also at Karnal.
• Dog breed registration: NBAGR's first three registered dog breeds were Tamil Nadu's Rajapalayam and Chippiparai and Karnataka's Mudhol Hound (reported Dec 2020). The Kombai is broad, short and muscular, red-brown with a black mask-like muzzle, and takes its 'Polygar dog' name from the Poligar chieftains who prized it.
• Rashtriya Gokul Mission – December 2014; scientific development and conservation of indigenous cattle and buffalo breeds; run by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. As most indigenous animals are held by small, marginal farmers and landless labourers, it also helps the rural poor.
• Law: in 2017 Tamil Nadu amended the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 for Jallikattu; a Supreme Court Constitution Bench upheld it in May 2023. Pulikulam and Kangayam bulls are widely used in Jallikattu.

Tamil Nadu link: TN's registered dog breeds – Rajapalayam (Virudhunagar), Chippiparai (Virudhunagar area) and now Kombai (Theni). TN's indigenous cattle breeds – Kangayam (Kongu region), Umblachery (Cauvery delta – Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam), Bargur (Bargur hills, Erode district), Pulikulam (Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram area – Jallikattu bulls) and Alambadi (Dharmapuri–Krishnagiri area).

Source: ICAR press release (7 Aug 2026); UNI (19 Oct 2026); Down To Earth (25 Aug 2026); Shankar IAS; Dhyeya IAS (2020)

Join our UPSC classroom or online batch: UPSC coaching in Coimbatore · Fees · Call 99941 46662.

TNPSC Achievers