The Supreme Court today has directed 19 states and Union territories to declare cancer a "notifiable disease" to ensure early detection and proper care of patients. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Doctor Anurag Srivastava, seeking a direction to declare cancer a "notifiable disease" across the country to ensure early detection and proper care of patients. It thus urged the court to direct authorities to declare cancer a notifiable disease nationwide and establish a unified, real-time digital cancer registry akin to the CoWIN platform launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the PIL highlights major deficiencies in the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) operated by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The registry currently covers only about 10 per cent of the country's population, with rural coverage as low as 1 per cent.