Supreme Court asks 19 States, UTs to declare cancer 'notifiable disease' for early detection
The Supreme Court's direction came after it was informed that 17 of the 36 States and UTs have so far notified cancer as a "notified disease"
On August 11, 2026, the Supreme Court directed 19 states and union territories to declare cancer as a notifiable disease, aiming to enhance early detection and proper care for patients. Chief Justice Surya Kant presided over the hearing after being informed that 17 of the 36 states and union territories had previously notified cancer as a notifiable disease, in line with parliamentary standing committee recommendations.
The court was addressing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Dr. Anurag Srivastava, represented by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, requesting nationwide declaration of cancer as a notifiable disease to promote early detection and proper care. The Bench also questioned the central government for not issuing mandatory guidelines for all states and union territories, calling for a uniform policy.
The petition argued that the ongoing non-notification of cancer, given its significant and growing burden in India, constituted a severe breach of the state's constitutional obligations under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. It denied uniform treatment to similarly-situated citizens and violated their fundamental right to health and a dignified life.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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