Pariksha SaathiNational Launch of JOSH Teams on 8 October to Strengthen Grassroots Push for TB Mukt Bharat
To widen public participation in India's campaign against tuberculosis, the Union Health Ministry, working with the Ministries of Youth Affairs & Sports and Defence, scheduled the national launch of JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) Teams for 8 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The first phase covers 55 districts across 11 states, with youth-led outreach at block, ward and community level meant to carry the TB Mukt Bharat message beyond health facilities and into neighbourhoods. Each team brings together Class-I officers, MY Bharat volunteers and NCC cadets, who will spread awareness about TB symptoms, prevention, early diagnosis and completing treatment, and help counter myths and stigma around the disease. Health Minister J.P. Nadda was to lead the launch, alongside Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The programme was also set to release new IEC (awareness) material and an AI-powered chatbot called Khushi Avatar. JOSH Teams build on the Jan Bhagidari approach that saw 67,933 panchayats in 697 districts recognised as TB Mukt in 2025.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
Sustainable Development Goal target 3.3 calls for ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases by 2030. India set itself an earlier national goal of ending TB by 2025, five years ahead of the SDG deadline. The National Cadet Corps (NCC), one of the three groups in JOSH Teams, is constituted under the National Cadet Corps Act, 1948 and functions under the Ministry of Defence, which is why that ministry is a partner in this health campaign.
Reference: UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 and its targets
Check yourself: is 2025 the year set by the UN Sustainable Development Goals for ending the TB epidemic?
No. The SDG deadline under target 3.3 is 2030. The 2025 date was India's own, earlier national target.
Revision task: list which ministry brings which group (Class-I officers, MY Bharat volunteers, NCC cadets) into JOSH Teams, and keep the 2025 TB Mukt panchayat figures separate from the new launch.
Test yourself
JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) Teams, set up to strengthen the TB Mukt Bharat campaign, bring together Class-I officers, MY Bharat volunteers and which other group?
Show the answer
Answer: NCC cadets
Each JOSH team has Class-I officers, MY Bharat volunteers and NCC cadets; the first phase covers 55 districts across 11 states.
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