The central government has no intention of enacting a law to declare the cow as India’s national animal, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, S. P. Singh Baghel, told Parliament on Tuesday.

Responding to a question raised in the Lok Sabha by senior BJP leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Baghel said, “No, Sir.” He explained that under Article 246(3) of the Constitution, the preservation of animals falls under the exclusive legislative purview of state governments.

However, Baghel highlighted that the Centre has been supporting state efforts to protect and promote cows through the "Rashtriya Gokul Mission", launched in December 2014. The mission aims to conserve and develop indigenous breeds and improve overall animal husbandry infrastructure across states and Union Territories.