- Why in news
- On 22 August 2026, PIB published a explainer on NADCP, reporting 147.16 crore FMD doses given and FMD outbreaks down from 132 (2019) to 40 (2025).
- What it is
- The National Animal Disease Control Programme is a Centre-backed scheme of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. It aims to control and eventually eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease and Brucellosis in livestock through mass vaccination and surveillance. It was launched in 2019.
- Launch and diseases
- NADCP was launched in September 2019 to control and eradicate FMD and Brucellosis by nationwide vaccination.
- Vaccination targets
- FMD vaccination twice a year for all livestock; Brucellosis vaccine once in a lifetime for female bovine calves aged 4-8 months.
Don’t confuse with FMD vs Brucellosis: FMD is a viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals; Brucellosis is a bacterial reproductive disease of cattle and buffaloes, also affecting humans.
Don’t confuse with Sero-surveillance vs sero-monitoring: Sero-surveillance assesses antibody prevalence across a population; sero-monitoring tracks antibody levels over time.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Cuts milk, fertility and trade losses, raising farmer incomes.
- Lowers zoonotic risk and supports One Health and pandemic preparedness.
Problems
- Twice-yearly vaccination of a huge herd needs a reliable cold chain and enough vaccinators.
- Migratory and stray animals are hard to tag and cover.
Way forward
- Expand laboratory accreditation, genomic surveillance and traceability via the portal.
- Move towards international FMD-freedom standards with strong One Health coordination.
Put in your answer
Outbreak decline: Reported FMD outbreaks fell from 132 in 2019 to 40 in 2025.
Livestock base: 20th Livestock Census 2019 counted 535.78 million livestock, including 302.79 million bovines.
National One Health Mission: PM-STIAC approved a National One Health Mission at its 21st meeting on 7 July 2022.
- 2015Mains GS3 · Q2Promoting livestock rearing for rural non-farm employment and income; suggest measures.
- 2005Prelims Q130Which milch-animal diseases are infectious, including Foot and Mouth?
- 2002Prelims Q118Cause of foot-and-mouth disease in animals: bacterium, fungus, protozoan, or virus?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Single answer
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
With reference to the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) of India, consider the following statements:
Which one of the following is correct?
True or false?
1 of 6
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.NADCP aims at control and eradication of Foot and Mouth Disease and Brucellosis in livestock.
True. These two diseases are the targets of NADCP.
2.Under NADCP, the Brucellosis vaccine is given to female bovine calves aged 4-8 months once in their lifetime.
True. One-time vaccination of female calves aged 4-8 months.
3.The programme targets FMD vaccination of all livestock once every year.
False. The target is twice a year (every six months).
4.NADCP, the LH&DC component and Pashu Aushadhi have been subsumed into the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme.
True. They were merged into a single umbrella scheme, LHDCP.
5.Mobile Veterinary Units under the programme provide doorstep services through the toll-free number 1962.
True. MVUs are reached on toll-free number 1962.
6.Brucellosis in cattle and buffaloes is caused by a virus and can be cured by treatment in bovines.
False. It is caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus and has no curative treatment in bovines; vaccination is the control measure.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.