Supreme Court Directs States to Classify Cancer as Notifiable Disease The Supreme Court of India has directed all states and union territories to classify cancer as a notifiable disease, requiring mandatory reporting of cancer cases across the country. The directive comes after the court examined a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Dr. Anurag Srivastava, the former head of the cancer department at AIIMS in New Delhi. The PIL sought the classification of cancer as a notifiable disease to ensure standardized reporting and improve public health measures. The court emphasized the need for a unified approach to cancer reporting to enable early detection, containment of outbreaks, and better management of public health risks. Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymaly Bagchi and V Mohan, issued the directive, highlighting the lack of consistent reporting mechanisms across states. The court questioned the central government on why it had not imposed mandatory guidelines for reporting cancer cases, noting that the health ministry had classified cancer as a state subject. As of now, 17 states and union territories have already recognized cancer as a notifiable disease. The Supreme Court urged the remaining states and UTs to adopt appropriate measures to ensure comprehensive reporting. The court also stressed the importance of integrating cancer data into national health systems to address gaps in surveillance and treatment. The PIL, filed in November 2025, highlighted the inadequacy of India’s cancer reporting systems. According to the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP), only 10% of the population is covered, leaving a significant portion of cancer cases unaccounted for.#supreme_court_of_india #dr_anurag_srivastava #aiims_new_delhi #national_cancer_registry_programme #national_cancer_care_fund
