India increasingly contributing towards preventive healthcare: Union Minister

The rising incidence of diabetes and heart attacks among young people poses a major challenge to India’s healthcare system, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh said here on Thursday.

Delivering the address at the 42nd convocation of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER), Dr. Singh said diseases traditionally associated with old age were increasingly affecting younger people, even as advances in healthcare had extended life expectancy. Preventing such disorders was not merely the responsibility of doctors, but a national challenge requiring the collective efforts of families, healthcare professionals, and individuals, he said. Safeguarding the health of young people was particularly important to realising the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, he added.

Highlighting India’s progress in healthcare research, he cited the country’s COVID-19 vaccine, the HPV vaccine, and advances in gene therapy research for haemophilia. He said India was increasingly contributing to preventive healthcare and the development of treatments for diseases affecting populations both within and outside the country.

Calling for greater collaboration between academic institutions, researchers, and private healthcare providers, Dr. Singh said the government was opening up opportunities in areas such as genomics, biomanufacturing, and nuclear medicine.

A total of 2,116 graduates across medical, engineering, management, and other disciplines received their degrees from Chancellor V.R. Venkataachalam and Dr. Singh.

Presenting the institution’s annual report, Dean of Sri Ramachandra Medical College K. Balaji Singh said SRIHER had introduced 12 postgraduate and 14 undergraduate programmes in 2025-26, and signed 25 memoranda of understanding with national and international institutions.