Yak Federation of India Launched

Why in the news?

• The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh announced the formation of the Yak Federation of India (YFI).
• A first-of-its-kind initiative to empower yak herders and strengthen the high-altitude pastoral ecosystem across the Himalayan belt.

What are the key objectives of the Yak Federation of India?

• Serve as a collective platform uniting yak herders across the Himalayas.
• Promote sustainable livelihoods, cultural preservation, and policy coordination.
• Act as a bridge between herders, governments, and stakeholders to ensure welfare.
• Encourage collaborative action and strong policy interventions for the development of yak-based economies.

What is the significance of the Yak Federation of India?

The initiative represents a major step toward preserving traditional pastoral heritage while enhancing livelihood security in high-altitude regions. By strengthening the yak-rearing ecosystem—an integral part of the Himalayan economy, culture, and identity—it seeks to safeguard both livelihoods and indigenous knowledge systems. At the same time, it aims to revitalize age-old pastoral practices by adapting them to modern challenges such as climate change, shrinking grazing lands, and shifting socio-economic conditions, ensuring sustainable yak herding for future generations.

About Yak (Bos grunniens):

• A domesticated bovine species native to the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau, adapted to extreme cold and low oxygen conditions.
• Known as the “lifeline of the highlands.”
• Provides milk, butter, wool, meat, and transport in rugged, high-altitude terrains where other livestock cannot survive.
• Plays an essential ecological and cultural role in the trans-Himalayan belt.

Yak and Arunachal Pradesh

• In Arunachal Pradesh, particularly among the Brokpa and Monpa tribes, yak herding is more than an occupation.
• It is a cultural heritage passed down through generations.
• Yak-based livelihoods form the socio-economic backbone of highland societies and sustain the traditional system.

Additional information:

• Scientific Name: 
  • Wild yak: Bos mutus
  • Domesticated yak: Bos grunniens
• Habitat:
  • Wild yaks inhabit alpine tundra at altitudes of 5000 to 7000 meters. 
  • They thrive in alpine meadows, alpine steppes, and desert steppes.

• Geographic distribution:
  • Throughout the Himalayan region, the Tibetan plateau, Mongolia, and parts of South-Central Asia.
  • India – Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
• Conservation Status: Wild Yak (Bos mutus):
  • IUCN Status – Vulnerable
  • WPA, 1972 – Schedule I
  • CITES – Appendix I

Also read: Rare Plant Species

Source: Arunachal Times Date: 10/11/2025 Syllabus: Prelims, GS- I, II

Prelims MCQ

Q. Consider the following statements about Yak species:

1. Bos grunniens refers to the domesticated yak.
2. Wild yaks inhabit altitudes above 5,000 metres.
3. Wild yak (Bos mutus) is listed as Vulnerable under IUCN.
4. Yak is naturally found only in Arunachal Pradesh in India.

Which of the statements are correct?

1. 1, 2, and 3 only
2. 2 and 4 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2, 3, and 4