In news- National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL) has decided to insure the Himalayan Yak.
Key updates-
- India has around 58,000 yaks, found on the heights of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh.
- This bovine species is susceptible to inclement weather conditions due to climate change, diseases, attacks by wild animals, etc..
- The highlanders living in the harshest of climatic conditions used to incur regular losses due to deaths of the animal.
- In 2019 alone, 500 yaks had died in Sikkim due to heavy snowfall.
- The National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY), an organisation under the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) situated at Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh has been instrumental in securing the insurance policy.
- The policy will shield the Yaks against a number of risks posed by weather calamities, diseases, in-transit mishaps, surgical operation, strike or riots and permanent total disability for breeding or stud yaks.
- The insurance will be upto 80% of the market price of a yak.
- The benefit of subsidy under the policy is restricted to five animals per beneficiary per household.
- However, a beneficiary may insure more than five animals by paying the full premium without availing of the benefit of the subsidy.
Source: The Hindu
