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

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 [S1][S2].
• Operationalises India's whole-of-government zoonotic-threat preparedness architecture under the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) [S2].
• UPSC relevance: links GS-II (health governance, cooperative federalism) and GS-III (disease, biotech, pandemic preparedness).

2. Why in the News

• Workshop held on 18 March 2026 at Nagpur, addressed by PSA Prof. Ajay Sood and Secretary DHR & DG-ICMR Dr. Rajiv Bahl [S1].
• Follows the National One Health Mission Assembly 2025 at Bharat Mandapam inaugurated by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda [S2].

3. Background & Evolution

• 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 [S2].
• Steered by Office of the PSA; implementing agency DHR/ICMR; involves 16+ Central Ministries/Departments including Ayush, Animal Husbandry, Environment [S2].
• National Institute of One Health (NIOH), Nagpur designated anchor institution [S2].
• Fourth meeting of NOHM Scientific Steering Committee held 18 Dec 2025 [S2].

4. Core Static Facts

• Workshop theme: "Operational Frameworks for One Health: National Vision and State Action" [S1].
• Host: NIOH, Nagpur (under DHR, MoHFW), with ICMR-RMRC, Bhubaneswar [S1].
• Parent Ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare → Department of Health Research (DHR) [S1].
• Nodal coordinator of NOHM: Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to GoI [S2].
• Implementing agency: DHR / ICMR [S2].
• Lab network under NOHM: 23 BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories across India [S2].
• National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT): experts from human health, animal husbandry, wildlife [S2].
• Cabinet approval of NOHM: February 2024 [S2].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Administrative / Governance - Embodies whole-of-government model: 16+ ministries coordinated by PSA, breaking traditional siloes between MoHFW, DAHD, MoEFCC [S2]. - 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 [S1].

Scientific / Technological - Builds BSL-3/BSL-4 lab grid (23 labs) for early pathogen detection [S2]. - Inter-ministerial study on zoonotic spillover at human–wildlife–environment interface [S2]. - 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" [S1]. - 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 [S1][S2]. - 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 [S2].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• Feb 2024: Cabinet approval of NOHM [S2].
• 2024-25: First State/UT engagement workshop under NOHM by OPSA [S2].
• 2025: NOHM Assembly at Bharat Mandapam, inaugurated by J.P. Nadda; Executive Steering Committee 2nd meeting [S2].
• 18 Dec 2025: Fourth Scientific Steering Committee meeting [S2].
• 2025-26: "Vishanu Sankraman Pratirodh Abhyas" — pandemic mock drill in Madhya Pradesh [S2].
• 18 Mar 2026: Nagpur national workshop [S1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• NIOH is located at Nagpur, Maharashtra [S2].
• NIOH functions under Department of Health Research, MoHFW (not Dept. of Animal Husbandry) [S1].
• NOHM is steered by the Office of the PSA, not by NITI Aayog or MoHFW directly [S2].
• NOHM was approved by Cabinet in February 2024 [S2].
• Recommended by the 21st PM-STIAC [S2].
• Implementing agency: ICMR/DHR [S2].
• NOHM lab network: 23 BSL-3/BSL-4 laboratories [S2].
• Partner institute for Nagpur workshop: ICMR-RMRC, Bhubaneswar [S1].
• NJORT = National Joint Outbreak Response Team [S2].
• Current PSA: Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood [S1].
• DG-ICMR & Secretary DHR: Dr. Rajiv Bahl [S1].
• NOHM Assembly 2025 venue: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi [S2].

8. Mains Relevance

• 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."

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• 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.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• 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.

11. Sources

• [S1] National Workshop on One Health organised in Nagpur — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2241910 — (tier: 1)
• [S2] PIB search results on NOHM (Cabinet approval, NIOH Nagpur, 23 BSL labs, NJORT, NOHM Assembly 2025, SSC 4th meeting) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2209327 ; https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2192022 ; https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2171929 ; https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2206290 ; https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2135236 — (tier: 1)