Key Terms & Concepts — UPSC Mains
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
"The ability of microbes to withstand the drugs designed to kill them, making infections harder to treat and threatening modern medicine"
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites evolve so that the medicines used against them (antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals) no longer work. Driven largely by the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and agriculture, AMR turns once-treatable infections into deadly threats and undermines surgery, cancer therapy and childbirth. It is described by the WHO as one of the top global public-health threats and is tackled through the One Health approach that links human, animal and environmental health.
High relevance for GS2 (health governance, One Health) and GS3 (science, biotechnology). AMR was linked to an estimated 4.71 million deaths globally in 2021, and India carries a heavy burden, with about 2.97 lakh AMR-attributable deaths estimated in 2019. India's National Action Plan on AMR 2.0 (2025-29) and the Red Line Campaign make it a live 2026 policy topic.
- 1 AMR arises when microbes evolve to resist antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics
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- 3 Linked to an estimated 4.71 million deaths worldwide in 2021; a leading global health threat
- 4 India estimated about 2.97 lakh AMR-attributable deaths in 2019
- 5 India's Red Line Campaign (2016) marks prescription-only antibiotics with a red line on packaging
- 6 National Action Plan on AMR 2.0 (2025-29) uses a One Health surveillance and stewardship approach
- 7 Solutions include antibiotic stewardship, new drug development, infection prevention and sanitation
India's National Action Plan on AMR 2.0 for 2025-29, coupled with the Red Line Campaign, guided the 2026 push to curb over-the-counter antibiotic sales as AMR remained tied to an estimated 4.71 million global deaths.
