New Delhi, Jan. 22 -- With infectious disease outbreaks becoming more frequent and complex, the Union government is recasting its approach to how India detects, tracks and contains communicable diseases, and the upcoming Union budget could mark a decisive shift. The Centre is weighing a revamp of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), as part of a broader effort to decentralize outbreak response and reduce diagnostic delays, said two officials aware of the deliberations within the government.

The plan entails a makeover of NCDC by setting up five new regional offices, 20 new metropolitan surveillance units, and 27 new state regional centres of India's apex public health institute.

The proposals under the upcoming new iteration ...