18 March 2026·PIB

National Workshop on One Health organised in Nagpur on “Operational Frameworks for One Health: National Vision and State Action”

In this note

1. At a Glance

Two-day national workshop on "Operational Frameworks for One Health: National Vision and State Action" organised by NIOH, Nagpur with ICMR-RMRC, Bhubaneswar, aimed at translating the National One Health Mission (NOHM) vision into state-level action [1][2].
Operationalises India's whole-of-government zoonotic-threat preparedness architecture under the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) [2].
UPSC relevance: links GS-II (health governance, cooperative federalism) and GS-III (disease, biotech, pandemic preparedness).

Workshop held on 18 March 2026 at Nagpur, addressed by PSA Prof. Ajay Sood and Secretary DHR & DG-ICMR Dr. Rajiv Bahl [1].
Follows the National One Health Mission Assembly 2025 at Bharat Mandapam inaugurated by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda [2].

One Health concept: integrated approach linking human-animal-environment health (WHO/FAO/WOAH/UNEP Quadripartite framework).
NOHM recommended by the 21st PM-STIAC meeting; Union Cabinet approval February 2024 [2].
Steered by Office of the PSA; implementing agency DHR/ICMR; involves 16+ Central Ministries/Departments including Ayush, Animal Husbandry, Environment [2].
National Institute of One Health (NIOH), Nagpur designated anchor institution [2].
Fourth meeting of NOHM Scientific Steering Committee held 18 Dec 2025 [2].

Workshop theme: "Operational Frameworks for One Health: National Vision and State Action" [1].
Host: NIOH, Nagpur (under DHR, MoHFW), with ICMR-RMRC, Bhubaneswar [1].
Parent Ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare → Department of Health Research (DHR) [1].
Nodal coordinator of NOHM: Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to GoI [2].
Implementing agency: DHR / ICMR [2].
Lab network under NOHM: 23 BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories across India [2].
National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT): experts from human health, animal husbandry, wildlife [2].
Cabinet approval of NOHM: February 2024 [2].

Administrative / Governance

Embodies whole-of-government model: 16+ ministries coordinated by PSA, breaking traditional siloes between MoHFW, DAHD, MoEFCC [2].
NIOH-Nagpur created as a single anchor institute to avoid fragmented zoonotic R&D.
State-level operationalisation is the missing link being addressed at Nagpur workshop [1].

Scientific / Technological

Builds BSL-3/BSL-4 lab grid (23 labs) for early pathogen detection [2].
Inter-ministerial study on zoonotic spillover at human–wildlife–environment interface [2].
Surveillance pilots integrate genomic, veterinary, and ecological data.

Strategic — Health Security

PSA framed One Health as the "foundation of national health security and future pandemic preparedness" [1].
Aligns with WHO–FAO–WOAH–UNEP Quadripartite One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022-26).

Federalism

Workshop explicitly targets state action; NOHM tools (NJORT, surveillance pilots) need state veterinary, forest and health departments [1][2].
Health is a State subject (Entry 6, List II); thus voluntary cooperative federalism mode.

Environmental

Recognises antimicrobial resistance, climate-driven vector spread, biodiversity loss as zoonotic drivers [2].

Feb 2024: Cabinet approval of NOHM [2].
2024-25: First State/UT engagement workshop under NOHM by OPSA [2].
2025: NOHM Assembly at Bharat Mandapam, inaugurated by J.P. Nadda; Executive Steering Committee 2nd meeting [2].
18 Dec 2025: Fourth Scientific Steering Committee meeting [2].
2025-26: "Vishanu Sankraman Pratirodh Abhyas" — pandemic mock drill in Madhya Pradesh [2].
18 Mar 2026: Nagpur national workshop [1].

NIOH is located at Nagpur, Maharashtra [2].
NIOH functions under Department of Health Research, MoHFW (not Dept. of Animal Husbandry) [1].
NOHM is steered by the Office of the PSA, not by NITI Aayog or MoHFW directly [2].
NOHM was approved by Cabinet in February 2024 [2].
Recommended by the 21st PM-STIAC [2].
Implementing agency: ICMR/DHR [2].
NOHM lab network: 23 BSL-3/BSL-4 laboratories [2].
Partner institute for Nagpur workshop: ICMR-RMRC, Bhubaneswar [1].
NJORT = National Joint Outbreak Response Team [2].
Current PSA: Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood [1].
DG-ICMR & Secretary DHR: Dr. Rajiv Bahl [1].
NOHM Assembly 2025 venue: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi [2].

GS-II: Government policies & interventions in health; cooperative federalism in a State-List subject.
GS-III: Science & technology, biotechnology, disease & pandemic preparedness, AMR.
Possible question stems: 1. "Discuss how the National One Health Mission operationalises a whole-of-government approach to zoonotic threats. What are the federal-administrative challenges?" 2. "In light of recurring zoonotic spillovers, examine the institutional architecture India has built for pandemic preparedness since COVID-19." 3. "The 'One Health' approach is indispensable to AMR containment. Comment."

PM-STIAC — recommending body for NOHM.
ICMR, DHR & 100-Days Initiatives — parent ecosystem.
WHO-FAO-WOAH-UNEP Quadripartite One Health JPA 2022-26 — international parallel.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) National Action Plan — overlapping vertical.
BSL-3/BSL-4 lab network & National Institute of Virology, Pune — infrastructure backbone.
Nipah, Avian Influenza, Mpox outbreaks — case studies of zoonoses in India.
Disaster Management Act 2005 & pandemic response — legal lens.
PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) — complementary scheme.

NIOH is under DHR/MoHFW, NOT under Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
NOHM is steered by the PSA's office, NOT NITI Aayog and NOT MoHFW alone.
Do not confuse NIOH Nagpur with NIV Pune or NCDC Delhi.
NJORT involves wildlife sector experts — not only human health.
"One Health" is global (Quadripartite) — India's NOHM is the national instantiation, not the originator of the concept.
NOHM Cabinet approval year: 2024, not 2023.