India's Ministry of Science and Technology and health agencies advanced a national diabetes prevention push on Tuesday, building on Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh's call to shield the country's youth from rising rates of the disease. The programme emphasises early screening, dietary reform and physical activity.

Dr Singh said diabetes prevention must become a national priority, warning that the disease increasingly affects younger Indians. He linked the effort to broader public health goals and clinically guided medical practice, themes he raised at recent medical events in New Delhi.

India carries one of the world's largest diabetes burdens, with the International Diabetes Federation estimating more than 100 million adults living with the condition. Researchers at the Indian Council of Medical Research have flagged a shift toward earlier onset, driven by urban diets, sedentary lifestyles and genetic predisposition among South Asians.

The renewed drive aligns with state-level moves, including Telangana's merger of food safety and drugs control into a unified authority and the Hinduja Hospital tie-up with Uttar Pradesh on women and adolescent health. Public health specialists said screening children and adolescents could reduce long-term costs on the health system.

Dr Singh said prevention offered the most sustainable path forward. "Protecting our youth from diabetes is not merely a medical goal but a national investment in India's future workforce and prosperity," he said.