Overview

• Speaking at the Gyan Bharatam International Conference in New Delhi on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said many animal lovers do not consider the cow to be an animal.
• The remark came after the Supreme Court reassigned and modified an earlier order on removing stray dogs, directing that vaccinated and dewormed dogs be returned to their areas.
• Audience members laughed at the line, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was seen chuckling, and a video of the exchange circulated widely online.
• At the event, Modi also launched the Gyan Bharatam portal, a national platform to digitise, preserve, and provide public access to manuscripts using AI-driven tools.
• Coverage noted that the government has advanced cow-protection efforts in recent years, including establishing the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog in 2019.