The Sixth Meeting of the Scientific Steering Committee on One Health was held on 30 September 2026 at Kartavya Bhavan 3, New Delhi under the chairmanship of Prof. Ajay K. Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.

At the outset, substantial progress made in operationalising the One Health approach beyond its initial convergence framework was noted. Prof. Sood underscored the importance of clear institutional ownership, outcome‑oriented targets, and consistent follow-through to ensure that the Committee’s recommendations translate into action on the ground. He also highlighted the value of building on ongoing programmes, established platforms, and current institutional capacities rather than creating parallel structures. Prof. Sood noted that such alignment would improve information flow, support coordinated decision‑making, and enable timely action across human, animal, and environmental health domains.

The Minimum Standard Requirements (MSR) document for BSL-3/4 laboratories developed by the Advisory and Review Committee on BSL 3/4 laboratories was released during the meeting. The document will shortly be made available in the public domain for wider dissemination and reference.

The Committee reviewed progress towards developing an interoperable One Health Dashboard and deliberated on areas requiring continued inter-sectoral coordination. The Committee also appreciated efforts made by MoH&FW towards the next phase of the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) and noted that there are potential complementarities between IHIP and the proposed One Health Dashboard. Members discussed opportunities to strengthen existing systems and mechanisms and advance the implementation of One Health priorities at the national and sub-national levels.

In his concluding remarks, Prof. Sood commended the progress made in developing an interoperable One Health Dashboard. He urged Ministries and Departments to sustain collaborative engagement, strengthen follow‑up processes, and identify areas where greater convergence and support could accelerate implementation. He emphasised that an interoperable One Health Dashboard reflects not only a whole‑of‑government effort but a whole‑of‑country approach providing integrated visibility across sectors and ensuring that health threats are addressed holistically rather than in isolation.

The meeting reaffirmed the Government of India’s commitment to advancing an integrated One Health approach and strengthening national preparedness through coordinated, cross‑sectoral action.

The meeting was attended by Dr Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of PSA (OPSA) and secretaries of stakeholder ministries/department which included Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health (DHR) and Director General (DG) Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); Prof Umesh Waghmare, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST); Dr Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General (DG), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR); Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush; Dr V. Narayana, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO); and Dr Srinivasa Kumar Tummala, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). Participants also included Dr Rakesh Gupta, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW); Dr Naveena B. Maheswarappa, Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) and other Senior representatives from ICMR; Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC); Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) & Security Services; DAHD; ICAR; Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Ayush; National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); Department of Fisheries; National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Institute for One Health (NIOH); OPSA and Gujarat state representatives. Additionally, the meeting was joined by the chairs of the Advisory and Review Committees viz. Lt. Gen. (Rtd.) Dr Madhuri Kanitkar (BSL-3/4 laboratory network), Dr N.K. Arora (technology-enabled surveillance), and Dr Vijay Chandru (data integration and data sharing) and members of Technical Working Group for One Health Dashboard.

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MJPS/SS/ST

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