National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) (UPSC/RAS/PSI) Current Affairs {Economy}

Strategic Objectives

Launch & Strategic Goals- Launched in September 2019 as a flagship initiative to achieve effective control of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) by 2025 and total eradication of both FMD and Brucellosis by 2030.
Demographic Scale- Protects India's large livestock base, supporting a total livestock population of 535.78 million, including 302.79 million bovines (as per the 20th Livestock Census).
Addressing Economic Losses- Eliminates chronic farm losses caused by milk yield drops, reproductive failures, abortion storms, draft power reduction, and international sanitary trade barriers.
Farmer Outreach Footprint- Directly benefited over 8.04 crore farmers through extensive nationwide vaccination coverage and livestock healthcare access.

Biannual FMD Vaccination Protocol- Mandates 100% mass vaccination of all susceptible cloven-hoofed livestock (cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs) twice every year (every six months).
Brucellosis Lifetime Calf Vaccination- Targets 100% one-time lifetime vaccination of all female bovine calves aged 4–8 months against Brucella abortus.
Multi-Serotype FMD Coverage- Formulates vaccines to protect against the three major circulating serotypes in India- Serotype O (most widespread), Serotype A (variable), and Serotype Asia-1.
Pastoral & Migratory Shield- Extended mandatory vaccination since 2024 to pastoral sheep and goat populations across migratory routes in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, J&K, and Ladakh.
Primary Calf Immunization- Covers 4–5-month-old calves with primary doses to establish early protective baseline immunity prior to adult herd mixing.

Mass Vaccination Footprint- Successfully administered 147.16 crore FMD vaccine doses and 3.19 crore Brucellosis vaccine doses nationwide.
70% Reduction in FMD Outbreaks- Reported annual FMD outbreaks dropped by ~70%, falling from 132 outbreaks in 2019 down to 40 in 2025.
Elimination of Serotype Asia-1- Recorded zero outbreaks caused by FMD Serotype Asia-1 across the entire country for three consecutive years.
High Protective Sero-Prevalence- Sero-monitoring established robust herd immunity with protective antibody titers of 78.1% (Type O), 71.7% (Type A), and 77.6% (Asia-1), alongside 75.63% calf seroconversion for Brucellosis.
Reduced Viral Circulation- Non-Structural Protein (NSP) antibody prevalence fell from 20.8% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2025, while Brucellosis outbreaks declined from 22 to 15.

Indigenous Cattle Yield Growth- Milk productivity of indigenous and non-descript cattle rose 44.89%, increasing from 927 kg/animal/year (2014–15) to 1,343.2 kg/animal/year (2024–25).
Buffalo Productivity Expansion- Buffalo productivity grew by 25.80%, rising from 1,880 kg to 2,365.2 kg per animal per year over the same decade.
Global Record in Bovine Yields- Average national bovine productivity grew 36.63% to 2,250 kg/animal/year (the highest recorded globally), targeting 3,000 kg by 2030.
Macro Milk Output Expansion- India's total milk production expanded 69.4% over the decade, rising from 146.31 million tonnes in 2014–15 to 247.87 million tonnes in 2024–25.
Reproductive Loss Mitigation- Effective Brucellosis control achieved a 30–35% decline in bovine abortion cases and a 40–50% reduction in overall infection rates.

Bharat Pashudhan Portal- Digitally registered over 39.00 crore livestock with unique 12-digit Tag IDs for real-time vaccination tracking, health history, and traceability.
Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs)- Operationalized 4,019 MVUs across 29 States/UTs delivering doorstep services via toll-free helpline 1962, treating 276 lakh animals and serving 136 lakh farmers.
MAITRI Paravet Network- Trained 39,810 Multi-Purpose Artificial Insemination Technicians in Rural India to execute doorstep vaccinations and disease surveillance.
Direct Vaccinator Remuneration- Assures a minimum direct financial incentive of ₹3 per vaccination dose to grassroot vaccinators to maximize field coverage.
Private Infrastructure Financing- Leveraged the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) to finance private veterinary vaccine and drug manufacturing units.

National One Health Mission- Setup approved by PM-STIAC to institutionalize cross-ministerial coordination across human, animal, and environmental health domains.
G20 Pandemic Fund Project- Implemented a US$25 million initiative with the World Bank, ADB, and FAO to upgrade genomic surveillance and laboratory bio-security.
Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines (SVTG)- Released standardized clinical protocols for rational veterinary drug use, supporting the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR).
Crisis Management Plan (CMP)- Established an institutional standard operating procedure for rapid containment, zoning, and bio-security enforcement during animal disease outbreaks.
Zoonotic Spillover Prevention- Controlling Brucellosis in cattle prevents transmission of debilitating undulant fever to humans, creating an effective biological barrier against zoonotic pandemics.

Safeguarding Smallholder Rural Assets- Livestock acts as "living banks" for over 85% of small and marginal farmers; controlling debilitating diseases prevents asset loss and catastrophic out-of-pocket veterinary expenditures.
Unlocking Meat & Dairy Export Potential- Eliminating FMD and Brucellosis is critical for India to achieve OIE/WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health) disease-free status, unlocking high-value dairy/meat exports to the US, EU, and East Asia.
Zoonotic Spillover Prevention- Over 60% of human infectious pathogens and 75% of emerging diseases originate in animals; mass livestock vaccination serves as the primary barrier against zoonotic outbreaks.

Source: PIB