Delivering the keynote address at the ET Times Now Doctor’s Day Conclave, Union Minister** Dr. Jitendra Singh**—Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, the PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Atomic Energy and Space—emphasized that India stands “at the crossroads of a health‑tech revolution” as it nears becoming the world’s 4th largest economy.
Key Highlights:
Space Medicine on the horizon: Dr. Singh cited astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s recent mission to the ISS with indigenous life‑science kits—a landmark that may spawn a new medical discipline and academic stream in Space Medicine.
Demographic “bi‑phasic challenge”: With over 70% of the population under 40 and increasing life expectancy (from ~50–55 years in 1947 to nearly 80 today), India must manage both youth- and elder‑care needs.
Dual disease burden: Post‑COVID, India faces rising rates of both communicable and non‑communicable diseases. The Minister advocated for mass screening, early detection, and expanded use of AI, telemedicine, and machine‑learning via public‑private collaborations.
Pioneering innovation:
World’s first DNA COVID‑19 vaccine and HPV cervical‑cancer vaccine.
India’s first gene‑therapy trial for haemophilia, published in NEJM.
Launch of Nafithromycin, the first fully indigenous antibiotic molecule
Institutional integration & models:
Plans for IIT Kanpur and IISc Bengaluru to establish medical schools on campus.
Praise for Ayushman Bharat, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute, and Tata Memorial Centre’s fully digital, cashless systems.
Innovative public‑sanitation solutions at Kumbh Mela (radiation‑based sludge treatment plants)
Climate‑health resilience: Launch of Mission Mausam for early warning systems addressing climate‑related health impacts.
Closing appeal: “Let us not hand over everything to the technocrats. A bit of the doctor must remain… We must carry forward both the science and the soul of medicine.