Overview

• India recorded 3.7 million dog bite cases and 54 suspected human rabies deaths in 2024, data presented by the National Centre for Disease Control show.
• The Union Ministry has mobilised over ₹35.35 crore for anti-rabies vaccines under the ASCAD scheme and issued 166 compliance letters via the Animal Welfare Board of India to local bodies.
• Recent incidents on a Chennai college campus and 11 bites in Coimbatore prompted municipal authorities to capture and vaccinate offending stray packs.
• MPs such as Karti Chidambaram and analyst Sushant Sareen have called for a national task force and tougher municipal accountability to plug gaps in implementation.
• Critics warn that the 2023 ABC Rules’ ban on dog removal and uneven local enforcement undermine public safety despite stepped-up neutering and vaccination drives.