CHANDIGARH, 19.09.25-The Scientific Support Group at PGIMER Chandigarh is playing pioneering role in advancing India’s efforts to regulate the contents, emissions, and disclosures of tobacco products, said Dr. L. Swasticharan, Deputy Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, while addressing the National Workshop on “Advancing the Implementation of WHO-FCTC Articles 9 and 10 in India”. The workshop was organized by Scientific Support Group (SSG), PGIMER Chandigarh in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India at National Academy of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, which marks a first-of-its-kind initiative in the Southeast Asian region and reflecting India’s strong commitment to advancing tobacco regulation under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). He commended PGIMER’s leadership in guiding the country’s National Tobacco Testing Laboratories (NTTLs) located at NICPR Noida, CDTL Mumbai, and RDTL Guwahati, and emphasized the importance of building robust systems for testing harmful constituents, and aligning India’s regulatory framework with global best practices adapted to national needs.
Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Sonu Goel, Convenor of SSG and Professor at PGIMER, remarked:“This first-of-its-kind initiative in the Southeast Asian region marks a historic milestone in India’s tobacco control journey. By uniting policymakers, scientists, and civil society, it lays the foundation for a comprehensive national framework on tobacco product testing and disclosures, reaffirming India’s leadership and commitment to protect present and future generations from the devastating harms of tobacco.”
Adding to this, Guest of Honour Dr. Suneela Garg, Professor of Excellence and Chair, Programme Advisory Committee, DHR–National Institute of Health & Family Welfare, New Delhi, commended SSG-PGIMER for leading the development of the Good Laboratory Practices Manual for tobacco product testing in partnership with key institutes.
The workshop brought together senior policymakers, global experts, regulators, scientists, WHO representatives, and leading institutions including AIIMS New Delhi, JIPMER Puducherry, and NIMHANS Bengaluru. Deliberations culminated in a consensus to develop a strategic action framework to accelerate the implementation of Articles 9 and 10 in India.