Parliament Question: Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 2703 ANSWERD ON 4TH AUGUST, 2026 PASHUJANYA YUDH ABHYAS 2703. SHRI KARTI P CHIDAMBARAM: Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING मत्स्यपालन, पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has finalised the evaluation report of the national mock exercise, Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas, conducted under the National One Health Mission, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the evaluation identified any gaps in disease surveillance, inter-agency coordination or emergency response mechanisms, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether any time-bound action plan has been prepared by the Government to address the gaps identified during the exercise, if so, the details thereof; and (d) the details of the measures taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to strengthen preparedness for future zoonotic disease outbreaks? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY & DAIRYING (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH) a) The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Government of India has successfully conducted Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas (PYA), on animal health emergencies, at Khari village, Vidisha District, Madhya Pradesh, from 29th June 2026 to 3rd July 2026. The evaluation report for the mock drill is finalized capturing observations on bio safety and biosecurity, preparedness, coordination and communication mechanisms, and emergency response capabilities for managing zoonotic disease outbreaks. (b) and (c) The exercise provided an opportunity to identify the gaps in outbreak preparedness and response. Accordingly, it helped in strengthening the areas like timely communication, coordination, sampling and testing protocols, infection prevention and control, waste disposal, capacity building of response teams, documentation and information sharing across stakeholders. The exercise also highlighted the importance of continued capacity building and adherence to standard operating procedures.(d) The measures taken by the department to strengthen preparedness for future zoonotic disease outbreaks include: i. Under Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) financial assistance is provided to States/UTs for training and awareness on Good Animal Husbandry Practices, Biosecurity/Sanitary measures, vaccination against animal diseases, disease surveillance and monitoring and capacity building which supports preparedness and response for disease management and outbreaks. ii. Department under the component of Assistance to States for Control of Animal Disease (ASCAD) of LHDCP supports States/UTs on sharing basis for State prioritised activities such as capacity building, surveillance and monitoring of livestock diseases, training, prevention and control of zoonotic diseases including emergent and re-emergent diseases etc. iii. Formulated National Action Plan for Prevention, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza for preparedness and response including surveillance, biosecurity, culling operation, movement control, and post-operation monitoring. iv. The ‘Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines (SVTGs) has been developed for Livestock and Poultry’ for best practices in veterinary care to enhance livestock health and disease control while ensuring the responsible use of drugs including antimicrobials. v. Formulated the Crisis Management Plan (CMP) for Livestock Diseases’ for managing and responding to animal disease outbreaks, ensuring swift containment, mitigation and handling of animal health crises and reducing pandemic risks through prevention and control measures. vi. Advisories related to emergent infectious and zoonotic diseases issued to all States/UTs from time to time. vii. Formulated the National Action Plan for Control and Eradication for Glanders for prevention and control and containment of disease in definite time line. viii. The Department supports five designated Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratories (RDDLs) and one Central Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (CDDL) for specialized and referral diagnostic services for livestock diseases. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for laboratory investigations, including sample collection, preservation and dispatch, are in place to promote uniformity and quality in laboratory diagnostics. ix. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research Research– National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD), Bhopal, functions as the national reference laboratory for emerging and exotic livestock and poultry diseases. x. One of the member of National Joint Outbreak Response Team is from DAHD. *****