Varanasi: The Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, BHU, Rajiv Gandhi South Campus, recorded its seventh successful female calf birth under the RKVY-funded assisted reproductive technology project, which aims to conserve and genetically improve indigenous cattle breeds.A healthy 22-kg female Sahiwal calf was born on Friday to a Gangatiri surrogate cow through embryo transfer using sex-sorted semen. The calf carries superior Sahiwal genetics and has a potential milk production capacity of 14–16 litres per day.The achievement demonstrates the potential of advanced reproductive technologies in multiplying genetically superior indigenous cattle. The birth followed a procedure conducted on Nov 11, 2025, when a high-yielding Sahiwal cow underwent superovulation and artificial insemination using sex-sorted semen from a superior Sahiwal bull. The process resulted in six high-quality embryos, which were later transferred into synchronised recipient cows.The project is being implemented under the supervision of Principal Investigator Manish Kumar, with Kaustubh Kishor Saraf and Ajeet Singh serving as Co-Principal Investigators.Amit Raj Gupta, Dean, FVAS, and B M N Kumar, Professor-in charge, RGSC, BHU, said the successful use of ART could speed up genetic improvement, increase milk productivity, improve herd quality and enhance the income potential of dairy farmers.The FVAS team now plans to introduce OPU-IVF-ET — Ovum Pick-Up, In Vitro Fertilisation and Embryo Transfer — in the next phase. The technology is also proposed to be extended to farmers, especially in the Vindhyan region, to support faster genetic improvement and multiplication of Gangatiri and other indigenous cattle breeds while strengthening the economic prospects of dairy farmers.
