Why it is in the news
On 16 September 2026, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories that have adopted the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, permitting stem cell therapy as routine clinical care only for indications on the Ministry's approved list and restricting its use in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to duly approved clinical trials. The advisory implements the Supreme Court judgment of 30 January 2026 in Yash Charitable Trust & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.
The exam angle
Issue: Commercial clinics marketing unproven stem cell interventions, especially for autism, exploit vulnerable families under a fragmented and largely non-statutory regulatory regime.