Overview The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has rolled out a suite of measures to embed artificial intelligence in cancer screening across India. These measures are anchored under the India AI Mission and aim to create a scalable, ethically‑sound ecosystem for AI‑enabled diagnostics. Key Developments Cancer AI & Technology Challenge (CATCH) Grant Programme : Launched in partnership with the National Cancer Grid (NCG). Offers up to ₹50 lakh per project for pilot testing and up to ₹1 crore for scale‑up, subject to clinical validation. SAHI – Strategy for AI in Healthcare in India : A national guidance framework released on 17 February 2026 to ensure AI adoption is safe, ethical, evidence‑based and inclusive. BODH – Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI : Provides a structured testing and benchmarking environment, co‑developed with IIT Kanpur . Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) sandbox: Offers integration toolkits for developers to embed AI screening tools within the national digital health architecture. National NCD Portal under the NPNCD : Enables digital risk assessment, screening, referrals and continuum of care for cancers (breast, cervical, oral) linked with ABHA IDs. Important Facts The CATCH programme invites collaborative proposals from clinical institutions and technology innovators, focusing on the entire cancer care continuum—from early detection to post‑treatment monitoring. Funding is milestone‑based, ensuring that only clinically validated solutions receive scale‑up support. The SAHI framework was drafted after extensive consultations with academia, industry, clinicians and civil‑society groups, reflecting a multi‑stakeholder approach. Through ABDM’s sandbox, developers can test interoperability with existing health information systems, while BODH offers a transparent benchmarking process to compare algorithmic performance against standard datasets. UPSC Relevance These initiatives intersect multiple UPSC syllabus areas: GS 2 (Polity) – role of ministries and inter‑ministerial coordination; GS 3 (Economy & Technology) – AI governance, public‑private partnerships, health‑tech financing; GS 4 (Ethics) – ethical AI deployment, data privacy, equitable access; and GS 5 (Health) – strategies for non‑communicable disease control and digital health infrastructure. Way Forward Strengthen monitoring mechanisms to assess real‑world impact of AI‑driven screening on cancer morbidity and mortality. Facilitate capacity‑building for frontline health workers (ASHA, ANM) to use AI tools effectively. Ensure robust data‑privacy safeguards within ABDM and BODH to maintain public trust. Promote regional collaborations to adapt AI models to diverse Indian demographics and disease patterns. By integrating AI with existing public‑health programmes, India aims to achieve early cancer detection at scale, thereby reducing the disease burden and aligning with the broader goal of universal health coverage.