Health Ministry

Centre to roll out free HPV vaccine drive for 14-year-old girls nationwide

India will launch a nationwide, free and voluntary HPV vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls, using Gardasil under strict quality norms, as part of efforts to eliminate cervical cancer

Govt to provide AI resources access to medical students: MoHFW official

The government is looking to provide access to e-books and AI resources to medical students to help them hone their skills better, with the first phase of the initiative covering around 57 medical colleges in the smaller towns and rural areas, according to a senior Health Ministry official. Speaking at the AI Impact Summit here, Deputy Director General (Medical Education) B Srinivas stated that students from medical colleges in remote areas find it challenging to access e-books and good technical materials, including this AI material. "So the government is thinking of using the leverage of AI to reach out to these students ... in the National Medical Library we have started the process of securing the e-books and the digital clinical material, and we are doing it right now in around 57 government medical colleges across the country," Srinivas said. The government is looking to scale up the initiative in a gradual manner, he added. "We are in the pipeline to also include the private

Draft rules scrap provisional ethics committee registration stage

Health Ministry proposes removing provisional registration for ethics committees, shifting to single-stage approval to streamline clinical research and cut regulatory delays

Why regular deworming is vital even for children who seem healthy

National Deworming Day: Many children with intestinal worms look perfectly healthy. Doctors explain why these silent infections still harm growth, immunity, and why preventive deworming is important

Why HbA1c, India's most trusted diabetes test, may be getting it wrong

A Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia study warns that HbA1c, the gold-standard diabetes test, can misdiagnose or delay diabetes in Indians due to widespread anaemia and blood disorders

Only 34% of day care cancer centres approved for FY26 are functional

Just 102 of the 297 day care cancer centres approved for FY26 are operational so far, with states such as Telangana, Bihar and Karnataka reporting a higher share of functional facilities

Centre mandates drug cos to submit post-approval changes for new drugs

Draft amendment seeks mandatory reporting of manufacturing and quality changes to drug regulator

Does pollution kill Indians? Inside the government's air death divide

One ministry says there's no proof air pollution kills Indians, another pegs the toll at 1.24 million deaths a year; as Delhi-NCR's air turns hazardous again, the contradiction is back in focus

From Nimhans 2.0 to biopharma, Budget 2026 reshapes health priorities

Budget 2026 puts mental health, biopharma manufacturing and medical skilling at the centre, with Nimhans 2.0 and drug affordability shaping a broader healthcare realignment

Centre puts stricter controls on pregabalin sales over abuse concerns

India has moved pregabalin to Schedule H1, tightening prescription and record-keeping norms after states flagged widespread misuse of the nerve pain drug for intoxication

Centre scraps prior approval system for BA/BE studies of low-risk drugs

The health ministry has amended clinical trial rules to replace prior approvals for low-risk BA/BE studies with simple online intimations, a move aimed at cutting delays, easing compliance

Centre mandates blue chip on all antimicrobial brand labels to counter AMR

In a gazette notification dated January 23, the Union health ministry proposed adding a new clause under Rule 95 of the Drugs Rules, 1945

Budget 2026: Doctors, hospitals lay out India's healthcare spending wishlist

As Union Budget 2026 approaches, healthcare leaders spell out priorities to curb preventable disease, cut out-of-pocket costs, and strengthen India's health system at scale

Centre halves review period for applications to conduct new drug trials

The health ministry has amended the NDCT Rules to cut approval timelines for new drug trials and testing by half, aiming to speed up innovation while easing regulatory processes for most applications

India's diabetes burden hits 90 million as lifestyle shifts reshape health

India now has 90 million adults living with diabetes, second only to China. The IDF Diabetes Atlas warns the burden will rise sharply with ageing, urbanisation and lifestyle change

NEET PG cut-off slashed to zero percentile to fill over 18,000 vacant seats

With more than 18,000 postgraduate medical seats vacant after round two of counselling, the health ministry has lowered NEET-PG cut-offs, drawing sharp criticism from doctors' bodies

Just one night of binge drinking can damage your gut lining, study finds

A Harvard-led study shows even one episode of binge drinking can injure the small intestine, weaken the gut barrier and trigger immune responses that allow toxins to leak into the bloodstream

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Health, but it won't diagnose or treat you

ChatGPT Health introduces a dedicated space for health queries, allowing users to link medical records and fitness apps, even as OpenAI warns it is not a substitute for medical care

Why cervical cancer still kills one woman every two minutes worldwide

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month: The UN says cervical cancer, though preventable, continues to claim lives worldwide due to gaps in vaccination, screening and timely treatment

How type 2 diabetes physically alters the heart and drives failure

A new human heart study shows type 2 diabetes does not just raise cardiac risk but physically alters heart muscle, energy use and structure, helping explain why heart failure is so common in diabetes