Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed States and Union Territories (UTs) that have not yet notified cancer as a notifiable disease to consider doing so, stressing the need for a uniform policy on the mandatory reporting of cancer cases across the country.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions for cancer to be declared a notifiable disease across India.
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During the hearing, the Court questioned the Centre on why mandatory guidelines could not be issued for all States and UTs to ensure uniform reporting of cancer cases.
Appearing for the Centre, the Additional Solicitor General submitted that health is a State subject.
The Court was informed that 17 States and UTs have already notified cancer as a “notified disease”, following recommendations made by a Parliamentary Standing Committee.
Taking note of the submission, the Court directed the remaining States and UTs to consider the recommendations and take an appropriate decision. The States and UTs have also been directed to file compliance affidavits before the Court.
WHAT THE 2025 PIL SAYS
The PIL, filed in November 2025, highlights what it describes as gaps in India’s cancer-control framework arising from the absence of a uniform, nationwide system for the mandatory reporting of cancer cases.
The petitioner, a former Head of the Department of Surgical Disciplines at AIIMS, New Delhi, who has served in the field for more than three decades, has argued that the differing notification of cancer across States has resulted in fragmented data, inadequate surveillance and disparities in monitoring and early intervention.
The petition points out that while health is primarily a State subject, both the Union and State governments have the power to legislate on and notify diseases within their respective domains. It argues that this has resulted in some States notifying cancer while others have not.
The PIL further states that the ICMR’s National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) covers only around 10% of India’s population, with rural coverage estimated at as little as 1%. It specifically seeks greater representation of States and rural areas in population-based cancer registries, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha.
KEY RELIEFS SOUGHT IN THE PIL
Among its key prayers, the petition seeks the notification of cancer as a notifiable disease at the national level to ensure uniform and mandatory reporting.
It also calls for the creation of a centralised, real-time digital cancer registry, along the lines of the CoWIN portal, integrated with existing cancer registries, Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY, State health insurance schemes, mortality records and hospital information systems.
The petition further seeks nationwide cancer-screening programmes at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs), targeting high-risk and age-based groups.
It also calls for a policy to address unverified religious and alternative cancer therapies, including remedies such as Gomutra, along with measures to regulate misinformation surrounding cancer treatment.
The PIL seeks the availability of affordable, evidence-based cancer treatment, including modern medicine and evidence-based AYUSH therapies, at tertiary-care and district-level hospitals.
It also proposes the creation of a dedicated National Cancer Care Fund to support treatment costs, anti-cancer drugs, diagnostic equipment and palliative care for poor and vulnerable patients.
Additionally, the petition calls for strengthening death certification and institutionalising death audits for cancer patients. It also seeks a time-bound roadmap for expanding Population-Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) to ensure adequate representation of all States and rural areas.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
