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 from June 29 to July 3, 2026. The 5-day exercise was held in Khari village, Vidisha District, Madhya Pradesh, and was designed to test India's preparedness, coordination mechanisms, and emergency response capabilities for managing animal health emergencies arising from zoonotic disease outbreaks.
The drill simulated an outbreak scenario of Influenza A (H1N1) in animals with potential for spillover to humans and wildlife. Participants tested the complete response chain including 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.
Multiple government agencies participated including the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, laboratories under the National BSL-3 Network (ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and State and District Administration of Madhya Pradesh. Experts worked together under the guidance of the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT).
Secretary Naresh Pal Gangwar emphasized that regular preparedness exercises are vital to detect, contain and respond to zoonotic threats in a swift and coordinated manner. A debriefing meeting on July 3, 2026, chaired by the Animal Husbandry Commissioner, reviewed observations, identified gaps, and discussed strengthening emergency response protocols, improving inter-sectoral coordination, and building capacity for effective management of animal health emergencies.
The exercise reinforced the government's commitment to building resilient veterinary systems for prevention, early detection and rapid response to emerging zoonotic diseases, underscoring the value of the One Health approach in fostering coordinated response across all relevant sectors.