20/02/2026
Honoured to welcome Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta, Hon’ble DDG (Animal Science), ICAR, to ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal.
During his visit, Dr. Bhatta led a meticulous and insightful discussion with the scientists on the ongoing efforts towards development of a vaccine for African Swine Fever (ASF) in pigs—an area of critical national importance.
He undertook a detailed review of the ancillary facilities supporting the BSL-3 laboratory, including the SPF chicken unit, engineering unit, boiler plant, AC plant, electrical sub-station, rendering plant, and Air Handling Units on the service floor. He appreciated the complexity of maintaining high-containment bio-engineering infrastructure and carefully understood the challenges faced in ensuring uninterrupted and safe operation of the BSL-3 facility.
Dr. Bhatta was warmly welcomed by Dr Aniket Sanyal, Director, ICAR-NIHSAD. He also interacted extensively with scientists regarding ongoing research activities and future priorities. In his address to all staff members, he emphasized excellence, biosecurity, and translational research aligned with national needs.
On this occasion, he released four farmer-friendly Hindi publications aimed at strengthening outreach and knowledge dissemination among stakeholders.
We sincerely thank Dr. Bhatta for his visionary leadership, encouragement, and continued support to NIHSAD.
📸 Glimpses of his visit are shared here.