**Executive Summary**
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) conducted 'Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas' (PYA) from 29th June to 3rd July 2026 in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh. This third national-level mock drill validated India’s preparedness and inter-sectoral coordination for managing zoonotic disease outbreaks under the National One Health Mission. The exercise concluded with a debriefing on 3rd July 2026 to review identified gaps and strengthen future emergency response protocols.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Exercise Overview and Objectives**
* **Purpose:** To test and validate the country’s preparedness, coordination mechanisms, and emergency response capabilities for animal health emergencies.
* **Framework:** Conducted under the National One Health Mission, integrating animal health, human health, wildlife, and district administration sectors.
* **Scope:** A five-day exercise covering the full response chain from the first alert to final containment.
**Simulated Scenario and Operations**
* **Scenario:** A simulated outbreak of Influenza A (H1N1) in animals with the potential for spillover to humans and wildlife.
* **Technical Testing:** Participants tested disease surveillance, early warning reporting, field epidemiology, sample collection/transportation, and laboratory diagnosis.
* **Management Protocols:** The drill assessed risk assessment, incident management, biosecurity, containment operations, movement control, and public communication.
**Collaborative Participation**
* **Lead Agencies:** Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) and the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT).
* **Key Partners:** Included ICAR, NCDC, ICMR, MoEF&CC, the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, and BSL-3 Network laboratories (NIHSAD and AIIMS Bhopal).
* **Regional Involvement:** Active participation from the State and District Animal Husbandry, Health, and Forest Departments of Madhya Pradesh.
**Outcomes and Future Strategy**
* **Gap Analysis:** A final debriefing chaired by the Animal Husbandry Commissioner reviewed observations and identified operational gaps.
* **Strategic Focus:** Deliberations focused on improving inter-sectoral coordination and building capacity for resilient veterinary systems.
* **Commitment:** Reinforced the Government’s focus on the One Health approach for the prevention and rapid response to emerging zoonotic diseases.
**Impact Analysis**
**National and State Health/Agriculture Agencies (DAHD, ICAR, NCDC, ICMR, MoEF&CC)**
**Impact**
These agencies benefited from a validated coordinated response mechanism, testing how different sectors interact during a zoonotic crisis.
**Action Required**
Review the insights and gaps identified during the drill to inform and refine future national strategies for zoonotic disease management.
**Laboratory Networks (National BSL-3 Network, NIHSAD, AIIMS Bhopal)**
**Impact**
Laboratories were tested on their ability to handle rapid sample transportation, diagnosis, and biosecurity protocols under simulated pressure.
**Action Required**
Standardize diagnostic and communication protocols across the BSL-3 network to ensure swift detection during actual outbreaks.
**State and District Administrations (Madhya Pradesh)**
**Impact**
Local authorities gained practical experience in field epidemiology, containment operations, and public communication at the village level.
**Action Required**
Implement the refined movement control and biosecurity protocols established during the exercise within their local jurisdictions.
Key Entities Referenced
Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas (PYA): A national-level mock drill designed to test and validate India's preparedness and emergency response capabilities for zoonotic disease outbreaks.
National One Health Mission: The overarching policy framework under which the exercise was conducted to ensure intersectoral coordination between human, animal, and environmental health sectors.
Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD): The primary government department responsible for organizing the mock drill and overseeing national animal health emergency preparedness.
National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT): A multidisciplinary expert body that provided guidance for the coordinated response and management of the simulated disease outbreak.
Khari village, Vidisha District, Madhya Pradesh: The central location where the five-day national mock drill was executed to assess field-level operational readiness and containment mechanisms.
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying
‘Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas (PYA)’ Strengthens
India’s Preparedness for Animal Health
Emergencies and Zoonotic Disease Outbreaks
National mock drill validates a coordinated response
mechanism under the One Health approach exercise
conducted in Khari village, Vidisha District, Madhya Pradesh,
from 29th June to 3rd July 2026
Posted On: 03 JUL 2026 7:11PM by PIB Delhi
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry &
Dairying, successfully conducted Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas (PYA), the third national-level mock drill
under the National One Health Mission, aimed at testing and validating the country’s preparedness,
coordination mechanisms, and emergency response capabilities for managing animal health emergencies
arising from zoonotic disease outbreaks.
The 5 day long exercise was held at Khari village, Vidisha District, Madhya Pradesh, from 29th June to 3rd
July 2026. Built around the One Health approach, it brought together stakeholders from the animal health,
human health, wildlife, food safety, laboratory and district administration. The drill was designed to assess
operational readiness, intersectoral coordination and communication, and mechanism for managing a
zoonotic disease outbreak from first alert to containment.
The scenario simulated an outbreak of Influenza A (H1N1) in animals carrying the potential for spillover
to humans and wild life. Working through this scenario, participants tested the full response chain —
disease surveillance, early warning and reporting, outbreak investigation and field epidemiology, sample
collection and transportation, laboratory diagnosis, risk assessment, incident management, biosecurity,
containment operations, movement control and public communication.
The exercise saw active participation from the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD),
Government of India, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), National Centre for Disease
Control (NCDC); the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Office of the Principal Scientific
Advisor, Government of India, laboratories under the National BSL-3 Network i.e ICAR-National
Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal and All India Institute of Medical
Sciences, Bhopal, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), including the State
and District Animal Husbandry, Health and Forest Departments, and State and District Administration of
Madhya Pradesh. Experts drawn from the animal health, human health and wildlife sectors worked
together under the guidance of the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT).
The Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar, observed that
Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas demonstrated the One Health approach in action, and emphasised that regular
preparedness exercises are vital to detect, contain and respond to zoonotic threats in a swift andcoordinated manner.
On the concluding day, 3rd July 2026, a debriefing meeting was held under the Chairmanship of the
Animal Husbandry Commissioner, DAHD in the presence of Director, NCDC, Director, Animal
Husbandry, Madhya Pradesh and presence of the back end, front end and observer team to review the
observations recorded during the exercise, discuss the gaps identified and deliberate on the way forward.
The deliberations focused on strengthening emergency response protocols, improving inter-sectoral
coordination and building capacity for the effective management of animal health emergencies and
zoonotic disease outbreaks.
Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas (PYA) was a successful exercise that provided valuable insights to inform future
strategies for strengthening India’s preparedness and response to zoonotic disease outbreaks. It reinforced
the Government’s commitment to building resilient veterinary systems for the prevention, early detection
and rapid response to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases, and underscored the value of the One
Health approach in fostering a coordinated and efficient response across all relevant sectors.
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JP
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