Dr Jitendra Singh calls for mass public movement against cancer, diabetes and obesity; stresses early detection and scientific awareness

📌 Summary:

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, called for a nationwide People's Movement (Jan Andolan) against cancer, diabetes, obesity and other lifestyle diseases

• Core argument: India's response to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) must move beyond hospitals and become a mass public movement centred on early detection, right medical advice and evidence-based healthcare

• Twin challenge identified: the country faces not merely a lack of awareness but also widespread health misinformation — making scientific and evidence-based health communication more important than ever

• Remarks were made at the launch of "UNBROKEN: My Battle with Cancer and the Will to Lead", authored by cancer survivor and eminent scientist Dr. Akhilesh Gupta, former Senior Adviser, Department of Science & Technology

• The Minister described the book as more than a memoir — a chronicle of courage, resilience, integrity and faith in science, offering lessons for patients, doctors, scientists, administrators and young professionals

• Changing disease profile: NCDs have emerged as one of India's biggest public health challenges. Cancer, diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease and other metabolic disorders are rising across all regions and increasingly affecting younger populations

• Several cancers are now curable or manageable if diagnosed early — making timely screening and prompt intervention the most effective tools for reducing mortality and improving treatment outcomes

• Prevention framing: preventive healthcare must become a national habit rather than an individual choice; balanced nutrition, regular physical activity and periodic health check-ups were emphasised

• Linked healthy citizens to the vision of Viksit Bharat

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 (Governance & Social Justice — health policy, preventive healthcare, public health communication and the challenge of misinformation) and GS3 (Science & Technology — evidence-based health science). Strong Mains material on India's epidemiological transition from communicable to non-communicable diseases and on the Jan Andolan model of behaviour-change governance.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• NCDs (non-communicable diseases) account for the majority of deaths in India; the four major NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes
• National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) is the flagship government programme in this area
• Fatty liver disease (NAFLD/MASLD) — India was among the first countries to develop operational guidelines integrating it into the NCD programme
• Book launched: "UNBROKEN: My Battle with Cancer and the Will to Lead" by Dr. Akhilesh Gupta, former Senior Adviser, DST
• Epidemiological transition — the shift in a population's disease burden from infectious to chronic/lifestyle diseases as it develops
• SDG target 3.4 aims to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030

🔑 Key Term: Jan Andolan (People's Movement) — a governance approach that treats a public objective as a mass social campaign driven by citizen behaviour change and community participation, rather than relying solely on state institutional delivery; used earlier for Swachh Bharat and COVID-19 appropriate behaviour.