Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas: One Health Mock Drill in Vidisha

Why in the news

A five-day national simulation exercise on zoonotic disease response ended on 3 July 2026 in Madhya Pradesh, put together by the animal husbandry department.

Key facts

• Name means “Zoonotic Warfare Exercise” (pashu = animal, janya = originating from, yudh abhyas = war drill).
• Third national-level drill under the National One Health Mission (NOHM).
• Duration: 29 June-3 July 2026; venue Khari village, Vidisha.
• Organiser: DAHD, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
• Coordinated by the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT).
• Participants included ICAR, NCDC, ICMR, the Principal Scientific Adviser’s office, ICAR-NIHSAD Bhopal, AIIMS Bhopal, MoEF&CC and Madhya Pradesh departments.
• Closing debrief on 3 July was chaired by the Animal Husbandry Commissioner.

Response chain tested

• Surveillance (active and passive), early warning and outbreak reporting.
• Outbreak investigation, field epidemiology and case tracing.
• Sample collection and transport, then laboratory diagnosis such as RT-PCR and sequencing.
• Risk assessment and incident management via the Incident Command System.
• Biosecurity, containment (culling, ring vaccination) and movement control.
• Public communication through risk messaging and media briefings.

About One Health

• Treats the health of people, animals, plants and the environment as linked.
• Roughly 75% of emerging human infectious diseases start in animals.
• Backed globally by the Quadripartite: FAO, UNEP, WHO and WOAH.
• Their One Health Joint Plan of Action runs 2022-2026.

About NOHM

• Cleared by PM-STIAC at its 21st meeting in July 2022.
• Nodal coordinator: Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser.
• Anchor body: National Institute of One Health, Nagpur; foundation stone laid in December 2022.
• Goal: integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness across human, animal and environment sectors.
• Involves 13+ ministries and departments.

About H1N1 and DAHD

• H1N1 (swine flu) caused the 2009-10 pandemic; it is an RNA virus of the Orthomyxoviridae family.
• It is now part of seasonal flu and tracked under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.
• DAHD secretary: Naresh Pal Gangwar; flagship programmes include the National Livestock Mission, Rashtriya Gokul Mission and National Digital Livestock Mission.

Exam angle

• Which department ran the drill: DAHD.
• NOHM anchor institute: NIOH, Nagpur.
• Quadripartite members: FAO, UNEP, WHO, WOAH.