Srinagar, Sept. 24 -- Cancer has emerged as one of the most pressing health challenges of our times, and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir illustrates the scale of the crisis with stark clarity. The figure of 51,000 cases is not an abstract number but a reflection of lives disrupted, families burdened, and communities struggling against a disease that continues to rise in incidence. The reality is that cancer is no longer confined to isolated pockets; it is spreading across geographies and demographics, demanding a response that is both immediate and sustained.

The establishment of two State Cancer Institutes, one in Srinagar and another in Jammu, is a step forward, but the enormity of the problem requires far more than symbolic measure...