As per the information provided by Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), surveillance data on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in food animals including poultry is compiled and published as part of the Indian Network for Fisheries and Animal Antimicrobial Resistance (INFAAR) annual report, which is accessible to the public. The study conducted by ICAR – Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) examined various factors like agro climatic zones, pathogen phylotypes and host characteristics including utilization of machine learning algorithms to identify key drivers of AMR in poultry.

The measures and advisories are outlined as follows:

1. Department under Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) scheme, 100% central assistance is provided to States/UTs for vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Brucellosis, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF), Lumpy Skin Disease, Black Quarter, Haemorrhagic Septicaemia etc. including disease surveillance, monitoring and capacity building. Vaccination reduces the use of antibiotics, hence reduce the AMR.

 

2. Department has developed The ‘Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines (SVTGs) for Livestock and Poultry’ for best practices in veterinary care to enhance livestock health and disease control while ensuring the responsible use of drugs including antimicrobials.

 

3. DAHD has formulated the Poultry Disease Action Plan, which emphasizes proactive disease management through biosecurity measures, enhanced surveillance, and vaccination protocols, thereby safeguarding both poultry population and public health.
4. Bharat Pashudhan application under National Digital Livestock Mission provides management of nearly 29 common ailments of dairy animals e.g. mastitis, indigestion, diarrhoea etc. using Ethno-Veterinary Medicine (EVM).
5. Department has constituted the Empowered Committee on Animal Health-Regulatory, a subcommittee to ‘Assess and provide recommendations on submission of veterinary vaccines/biological/drugs for policy input’ to examine the proposals received from DCGI regarding import and manufacturing of drugs and vaccine including antibiotics.
6. Department has formulated the National Action Plan on Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR) in consultation with MoH&FW and other stake holders for judicious use, surveillance and monitoring of antibiotics in animal health sector. MoA&FW is also one of the stakeholder in respect to use of pesticides and antibiotics in agriculture sector keeping in view the One Health Initiative and provisions under NAP-AMR.
7. Department has issued advisories to all State/UTs for judicious use of antibiotics in treatment of food producing animals, for stopping the use of antibiotics in animal feed and for general awareness.
8. As per information received from the Central Drugs Standards Control Organization (CDSCO) import, manufacture, sale, distribution of drugs including antibiotics are regulated under the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules there under. Further, it is mandatory that the container of the medicine for treatment of food producing animals requires to be labelled with the withdrawal period of the drug for the species on which it is intended to be used.
9. On the recommendations of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Colistin and its formulations have been prohibited to be manufactured, sold and distributed for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplement

 

3. ICAR has strengthened the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by initiating All India Network Programme on AMR (AINP-AMR) involving 31 centres across different states of the country. Further, INFAAR is a nationwide initiative that comprises 20 animals science centres establishing a strong frame work for monitoring and surveillance.

 

4. The Central Government has notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Egg laying Hens) Rules, 2023 to ensure the welfare of poultry specifically for the space requirement for sheltering the poultry bird. As per the Rule 10 of the said Rules following shall be prohibited for feeding of laying hens:

1. Feeding of laying hens with remains of dead chicks.
2. Use of antimicrobial growth promoters.
3. Use of antimicrobials, if required, may be administered for therapeutic purposes (disease treatment) and only under supervision of a veterinarian and
4. Withdrawal of feed to induce a molting.

This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 2^nd April, 2025.

*****

AA

(Release ID: 2117764) Visitor Counter : 485