♦ India has set up its first Equine Disease-Free Compartment (EDFC) at the Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) Centre & College in Meerut Cantonment, Uttar Pradesh on 4 July 2025.

♦ The facility was officially recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), marking a crucial step in enabling Indian sport horses to compete internationally in compliance with global biosecurity standards.

♦ The EDFC, developed through the coordinated efforts of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Defence, the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), and the Government of Uttar Pradesh, ensures strict adherence to WOAH’s guidelines for compartmentalisation.

♦ These include robust biosecurity measures, veterinary surveillance, and disease exclusion protocols.

♦ The facility has been certified free from major equine diseases such as Equine Infectious Anemia, Equine Influenza, Equine Piroplasmosis, Glanders, and Surra. Additionally, India has remained free of African Horse Sickness since 2014.