PM to visit Rajasthan on 28th February

1. At a Glance

PM Narendra Modi visited Ajmer, Rajasthan on 28 Feb 2026 to launch the Nationwide HPV Vaccination Drive for 14-year-old girls — India's largest public-sector cervical cancer prevention rollout [S1][S2].
Same event: inauguration / foundation-laying of projects worth ₹16,680+ crore spanning urban development, drinking water, roads, irrigation, energy and industrial infrastructure; 21,800+ appointment letters distributed to new government recruits [S1].
UPSC relevance: intersects GS-II (Health policy, vaccination), GS-III (Biotech, Cervavac) and Science & Tech / Social Justice (women & adolescents).

28 Feb 2026: PM Modi launched the Nationwide HPV Vaccination Campaign from Ajmer, fulfilling the Union Budget 2024-25 (Nari Shakti) announcement to vaccinate girls in the 9-14 age cohort against cervical cancer [S2][S4].
Concurrent ₹16,680+ crore multi-sector project package and 21,800+ appointment-letter distribution under the Rozgar Mela track [S1].

2008: WHO prequalified HPV vaccines; India relied solely on private-market doses (Gardasil/Cervarix) for years.
Sept 2022: India's first indigenous quadrivalent HPV vaccine "CERVAVAC" announced by MoS S&T Dr Jitendra Singh — developed by Serum Institute of India (SII) with DBT-BIRAC and Gates Foundation support [S3].
Feb 2024 Union Budget: FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced government would encourage HPV vaccination for girls aged 9-14 ("Nari Shakti") [S4].
Feb 2026: Programme formally rolled out nationwide from Ajmer by PM [S1][S2].

Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW); integrated into Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) [S2].
Target cohort: Girls who have completed 14 but not 15 years — approx. 1.15-1.2 crore girls per annual cohort [S2].
Vaccine used in national programme: Gardasil — quadrivalent (HPV 6, 11, 16, 18); single-dose schedule [S2].
Indigenous alternative: CERVAVAC (SII, qHPV, types 6/11/16/18) [S3].
Mode: Free of cost at designated government health facilities [S2].
Cervical cancer burden (India, WHO GLOBOCAN 2022): ~1.20 lakh new cases, ~80,000 deaths annually; India = ~25% of global cervical cancer deaths; 2nd most common cancer among Indian women [S2].
Global context: India becomes part of 160+ countries with HPV vaccination in national immunization schedule; 90+ use single-dose [S2].
Ajmer development package: ₹16,680+ crore; sectors — urban development, drinking water, roads, irrigation, energy, industrial infrastructure [S1].
Rozgar Mela tranche: 21,800+ appointment letters in Government of India and Rajasthan departments [S1].

Social / Gender: Adolescent-girl-centric public health intervention; addresses leading female cancer mortality; aligns with SDG 3.4 (reduce premature NCD mortality) and WHO 90-70-90 Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy [S2].
Scientific / Technological: Demonstrates PPP-driven biotech — DBT-BIRAC + SII + Gates Foundation (CERVAVAC), single-dose evidence base (WHO SAGE 2022 endorsement) [S3].
Economic: ₹16,680 cr capex stimulus in Rajasthan; long-term saving on cancer-treatment burden under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY.
Administrative / Federalism: Centre-financed but State-delivered (school-based + facility-based outreach via ANM/ASHA/Anganwadi workers under UIP).
Ethical / Governance: Consent for minors, vaccine hesitancy management (lessons from 2010 HPV demonstration project pause in Andhra/Gujarat).

27 Feb 2026 (PIB): Advance press release of PM's Ajmer visit and HPV launch [S1].
28 Feb 2026: Formal launch by PM Modi at Ajmer; pan-India rollout begins [S2].
Feb 2024: Budget speech announcement of HPV vaccination push for 9-14 girls [S4].
Sept 2022: CERVAVAC scientific completion announced [S3].

HPV vaccination drive launched from Ajmer, Rajasthan on 28 February 2026 [S1].
Target age: 14 completed but <15 years (single annual cohort) [S2].
National programme vaccine: Gardasil (quadrivalent — HPV 6, 11, 16, 18) — NOT bivalent [S2].
Indigenous Indian HPV vaccine: CERVAVAC, by Serum Institute of India, supported by DBT-BIRAC [S3].
HPV vaccine effectiveness: 93-100% against vaccine-covered types [S2].
Annual cohort size: ~1.15-1.2 crore girls [S2].
Cervical cancer = 2nd most common cancer in Indian women (GLOBOCAN 2022) [S2].
India accounts for ~25% of global cervical cancer deaths [S2].
Schedule: Single dose (per WHO SAGE 2022) used in Indian programme [S2].
Ajmer projects value: ₹16,680+ crore across 6 sectors [S1].
Rozgar Mela: 21,800+ appointment letters distributed [S1].
HPV vaccination integrated under Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) of MoHFW [S2].
Budget 2024-25 "Nari Shakti" announcement preceded launch [S4].
Implementing Ministry — MoHFW, NOT Ministry of Women & Child Development.

GS-II: Issues relating to development & management of Social Sector — Health; Government policies for vulnerable sections (adolescent girls).
GS-III: Science & Technology — indigenization of vaccines, biotech achievements of Indians.
Sample stems: 1. "Evaluate the public-health significance of India's nationwide HPV vaccination drive in the context of WHO's cervical cancer elimination strategy. What implementation challenges lie ahead?" 2. "Indigenous vaccine development is critical to India's health sovereignty. Discuss with reference to CERVAVAC and the role of DBT-BIRAC." 3. "Adolescent-girl-focused public health programmes require dovetailing of education, immunization and awareness machinery. Examine."

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) / Mission Indradhanush — delivery chassis for HPV.
CERVAVAC & DBT-BIRAC PPP model — biotech indigenization.
WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy (90-70-90) — global benchmark.
Ayushman Bharat — PM-JAY & HWCs — secondary screening linkage.
POSHAN Abhiyaan / RKSK (Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram) — adolescent health platform.
Rozgar Mela — recruitment-letter distribution mechanism.
Union Budget 2024-25 health announcements — policy origin.
WHO GLOBOCAN data & National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMR-NCDIR) — burden statistics.

Confusing CERVAVAC (indigenous, SII) with Gardasil (Merck) — national programme currently uses Gardasil brand, not exclusively CERVAVAC [S2].
Mis-stating age — it is 14 completed, not 9-14 in the rollout cohort (Budget mentioned 9-14, programme started with 14) [S2].
Wrong ministry — it is MoHFW under UIP, not Women & Child Development.
Cervical cancer is 2nd (not 1st) common cancer among Indian women — breast cancer is 1st.
HPV vaccine schedule — WHO now endorses single-dose; aspirants may still mark 2- or 3-dose as correct.

[S1] PM to visit Rajasthan on 28th February — PIB PRID 2233504 — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2233504 — (tier 1)
[S2] PM Modi Launches Nationwide HPV Vaccination Drive for 14-Year-Old Girls from Ajmer — PIB PRID 2233906 — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2233906 — (tier 1)
[S3] Dr Jitendra Singh announces India's first indigenously developed vaccine "CERVAVAC" — PIB PRID 1856034 — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1856034 — (tier 1)
[S4] 'Nari Shakti' — Union FM announces vaccination to prevent cervical cancer (Budget 2024-25) — PIB PRID 2001172 — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2001172 — (tier 1)