New Delhi, June 20 (AHN) The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has notified amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945, enabling the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) at the Chaudhary Charan Singh-National Institute of Animal Health (CCS-NIAH), Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, to test 42 veterinary vaccines instead of just two, an official said on Saturday.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening the country's veterinary biological testing infrastructure, the official said in a statement.

Before this amendment, CCS-NIAH was notified for testing only two veterinary vaccines. With the latest notification, the scope of testing at the institute has been substantially expanded, enabling it to test 42 veterinary vaccines, the statement said.

These include vaccines used for the prevention and control of diseases such as Canine Distemper, Canine Coronavirus, Duck Plague, Fowl Pox, Salmonella and Tetanus, among others, affecting dogs, horses, poultry and other livestock, it said.

The amendments have been notified vide Gazette Notification G.S.R. 65(E), dated January 28, 2026, in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, section 3, sub-section (i) under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, it said.

The notification is in line with the government's ongoing efforts to augment vaccine and biological testing capacity in the country and to strengthen the regulatory framework to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of veterinary vaccines, it said.

The enhanced testing capacity at CCS-NIAH is expected to facilitate easier import and regulatory clearance of veterinary biologicals, while significantly strengthening the national quality assurance system for veterinary vaccines, the statement said.

The expanded mandate will also help reduce testing timelines and improve turnaround time for manufacturers, it said.

India is among the leading producers of veterinary vaccines globally. The expansion of testing facilities at CCS-NIAH will support the growth of the veterinary vaccine sector, promote the timely availability of quality-assured vaccines, and help safeguard animal health and livestock productivity across the country, the statement said.