‘Nandi’ Portal Launched To Allow Online Approval Of New Veterinary Drugs And Vaccines

Nandi stands for NOC Approval for New Drug and Inoculation System. As the full form suggests, Nandi will allow new veterinary drugs and vaccines to be granted NOCs through a hassle-free process.

The Centre has launched an online portal to allow the timely processing of applications and grant no-objection certificates (NOCs) to veterinary drugs and vaccines through the internet. The portal, called Nandi, was launched by the Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala on Monday, June 26, 2023, news agency PTI reported. Nandi stands for NOC Approval for New Drug and Inoculation System. 

As the full form suggests, Nandi will allow new veterinary drugs and vaccines to be approved and granted NOCs through a hassle-free process. The Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), India’s national regulatory body, lays down the standards for drugs, and regulates the import, manufacturing and marketing of all medicines and vaccines in India, including veterinary drugs. But the permission for these activities is granted only after consultation with the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Earlier, this system was manual. Now, with the launch of Nandi, the grants can be provided online.

Quoting Rupala, a PTI report said the health ministry gives the final approval of drugs and vaccines, but in the case of veterinary products, approval cannot be given without obtaining the NOC from the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. He said that when the process was manual, delays and obstacles were observed, which is why the Nandi portal has been launched.

Rupala also said that a livestock vaccination drive is being conducted in India, and this is likely to increase the demand for veterinary products.

According to the report, Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sandeep Kumar Balyan said that Nandi is a part of ‘Digital India’, and that its launch will address some of the challenges associated with the drug approval process.

Currently, 13 manual applications for veterinary products are under review, the report said, citing a senior ministry official. The NOC will be generated online once the applications are approved. One needs to apply on the Nandi portal in order to obtain an NOC.

Experts of the Empowered Committee on Animal Health will review the application based on essentiality and desirability, following which the NOC will be granted, generated online, and issued.