- India continues to struggle with active leprosy transmission, contributing significantly to the global burden of new cases despite achieving elimination status at the national level in 2005. - Persistent transmission is driven by challenges such as social stigma, delayed diagnosis, hidden cases in urban and rural pockets, and gaps in grassroots public healthcare surveillance. - Addressing leprosy transmission requires revitalising primary healthcare surveillance, community-level awareness campaigns, and destigmatisation efforts to ensure early detection and complete multidrug therapy (MDT) compliance. - **National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP):** A centrally sponsored public health scheme aimed at eliminating leprosy as a public health problem through early case detection, free treatment with multi-drug therapy, and community awareness campaigns. - **World Health Organization (WHO):** A specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health, setting global health standards, guidelines, and disease elimination targets. - **Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:** The apex government body in India responsible for formulating, implementing, and monitoring national health policies, family welfare programs, and central public health schemes. **Introduction** An analysis of data indicating that India continues to face persistent challenges in curbing leprosy transmission, highlighting public health gaps, the impact of social stigma, and the need for strengthened grassroots healthcare interventions. **Core Issue and Detailed Points** - India continues to struggle with active leprosy transmission, contributing significantly to the global burden of new cases despite achieving elimination status at the national level in 2005. - Persistent transmission is driven by challenges such as social stigma, delayed diagnosis, hidden cases in urban and rural pockets, and gaps in grassroots public healthcare surveillance. - Addressing leprosy transmission requires revitalising primary healthcare surveillance, community-level awareness campaigns, and destigmatisation efforts to ensure early detection and complete multidrug therapy (MDT) compliance. **Key Statutory Bodies, Acts & Concepts** - **National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP):** A centrally sponsored public health scheme aimed at eliminating leprosy as a public health problem through early case detection, free treatment with multi-drug therapy, and community awareness campaigns. - **World Health Organization (WHO):** A specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health, setting global health standards, guidelines, and disease elimination targets. - **Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:** The apex government body in India responsible for formulating, implementing, and monitoring national health policies, family welfare programs, and central public health schemes.