Update on National HPV Vaccination Programme

• National HPV Vaccination Programme is India's first government-funded, population-scale rollout of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, using single-dose Gardasil-4 at government facilities free of cost.
• Targets ~1.2 crore girls aged 14 years across all 36 States/UTs under a 90-day intensive drive launched 28 February 2026 from Ajmer, Rajasthan by the PM.
• UPSC relevance: GS-II (health, vulnerable groups, welfare schemes) and GS-III (S&T — indigenous biotech, public-health economics).