Counting cancer: On making cancer a notifiable disease in India

Consider the following statements :
Statement-I :India's public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
Statement-II: Under India's decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

1. A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
2. B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
3. C. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
4. D. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Which of the following are the objectives of ‘National Nutrition Mission’?

1. To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
2. To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
3. To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
4. To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. A. 1 and 2 only
2. B. 1, 2 and 3 only
3. C. 1, 2 and 4 only
4. D. 3 and 4 only

‘Mission Indradhanush’ launched by the Government of India pertains to -

1. A. Immunization of children and pregnant women
2. B. Construction of smart cities across the country
3. C. India’ own search for Earth-like planets in outer space
4. D. New Educational policy

Consider the following statements in the context of interventions being undertaken under Anaemia Mukt Bharat Strategy:
1. It provides prophylactic calcium supplementation for pre-school children, adolescents and pregnant women.
2. It runs a campaign for delayed cord clamping at the time of child-birth.
3. It provides for periodic deworming to children and adolescents.
4. It addresses non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies and fluorosis.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. A. Only one
2. B. Only two
3. C. Only three
4. D. All four

Which of the following statements with regard to the persons with disabilities in India is/are correct ?

1. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, an Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2018, mandates reservation in education and employment, places a legal duty on Governments to ensure accessibility and non-discrimination.
2. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan focuses on achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities across three key domains — built infrastructure, transport systems and information and communication technology.
3. The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) is a public sector organisation set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as a not-for-profit company to promote entrepreneurship among Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

Select the answer using the code given below :

1. A. 1 and 2
2. B. 2 only
3. C. 1 and 3
4. D. 1 only

What is the importance of using Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines in India?
1. These vaccines are effective against pneumonia as well as meningitis and sepsis.
2. Dependence on antibiotics that are not effective against drug-resistant bacteria can be reduced.
3. These vaccines have no side effects and cause no allergic reactions.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. A. 1 only
2. B. 1 and 2 only
3. C. 3 only
4. D. 1, 2 and 3

With reference to land reforms in independent India, which one of the following statements is correct?

1. A. The ceiling laws were aimed at family holdings and not individual holdings.
2. B. The major aim of land reforms was providing agricultural land to all the landless.
3. C. It resulted in cultivation of cash crops as a predominant form of cultivation.
4. D. Land reforms permitted no exemptions to the ceiling limits.

With reference to the 'Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan', consider the following statements:

1. This scheme guarantees a minimum package of antenatal care services to women in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy and six months post-delivery health care service in any government health facility.
2. Under this scheme, private sector health care providers of certain specialities can volunteer to provide services at nearby government health facilities.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. 1 only
2. B. 2 only
3. C. Both 1 and 2
4. D. Neither 1 nor 2

Operations undertaken by the Army towards upliftment of the local population in remote areas to include addressing of their basic needs is called:

1. A. Operation Sankalp
2. B. Operation Maitri
3. C. Operation Sadbhavana
4. D. Operation Madad

Consider the following statements in relation to Janani Suraksha Yojana:
1. It is safe motherhood intervention of the State Health Departments.
2. Its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among poor pregnant women.
3. It aims to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women.
4. Its objective includes providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. A. Only one
2. B. Only two
3. C. Only three
4. D. All four

Does tribal development in India centre around two axes, those of displacement and of rehabilitation? Give your opinion.

Achieving sustainable growth with emphasis on environmental protection could come into conflict with poor people’s needs in a country like India – Comment.

How do you account for the growing fast food industries given that there are increased health concerns in modern society? Illustrate your answer with the Indian experience.

The French Revolution has enduring relevance to the contemporary world. Explain.

Trace India’s consolidation process during early phase of independence in terms of polity, economy, education and international relations.

Mahatma Jotirao Phule’s writings and efforts of social reforms touched issues of almost all subaltern classes. Discuss.

Regarding the status of cancer as a notifiable disease in India, which of the following statements is correct?

1. A. Cancer is a nationally notifiable disease across all states and union territories.
2. B. The Union Health Ministry has made cancer a notifiable disease for all communicable diseases.
3. C. Cancer is not a nationally notifiable disease, but some states have made it so within their boundaries.
4. D. Only population-based cancer registries are used to count cancer cases nationally.

Which of the following accurately describes the limitations of existing population-based and hospital-based cancer registries in India, as mentioned in the article?

1. A. They primarily cover rural populations and have a private healthcare setup skew.
2. B. They cover a significant majority of the Indian population, ensuring comprehensive data.
3. C. They have an urban bias and do not uniformly capture data from the private healthcare sector.
4. D. Their data is exclusively used for communicable diseases, not non-communicable ones like cancer.

The article advocates for making cancer a nationally notifiable disease primarily due to which of the following reasons?

1. A. To align India's health policies with the Global Cancer Observatory's existing mandates for all diseases.
2. B. To address the projected significant increase in cancer cases and formulate an effective national control program based on comprehensive data.
3. C. To reduce the burden on state-level cancer registries by centralizing data collection.
4. D. To classify cancer as a communicable disease, as per the Health Ministry's current position.

"The lack of comprehensive data on cancer cases in India hinders the formulation of an effective national cancer control program." In light of this statement, discuss the implications of not making cancer a nationally notifiable disease for public health policy and the welfare of vulnerable sections.

Introduce the current status of cancer notification in India. Discuss how data gaps impact policy formulation, resource allocation, targeted interventions, and the ability to address the specific needs of vulnerable groups. Conclude with the imperative for a national, data-driven approach to cancer control.

"While State action can, to an extent, solve the data question, any benefit thus derived... it cannot become a rubric by which the nation can contour its cancer control programme." Examine the challenges in collecting comprehensive health data in India, particularly for non-communicable diseases like cancer, and suggest measures to overcome them.

Begin by outlining the current mechanisms for health data collection (e.g., registries) and their limitations as highlighted in the article (urban bias, limited coverage, private sector exclusion). Discuss systemic challenges in data integration and standardization. Propose concrete measures such as policy reforms, technological solutions, inter-state cooperation, and public-private partnerships to enhance data collection and utilization.