Skip to content

24 September 2026 · National and international edition

Ayushman Bharat at Eight: 48.5 Crore Cards, 13.25 Crore Admissions and, for the First Time, Every State and UT on Board

  • Health & Public Health
  • GS-II
  • PIBreported it
  • Ayushman Bharat
  • PM-JAY
  • National Health Authority
  • Universal Health Coverage
  • Primary Health Care

Why it is in the news

On 23 September 2026, the eighth anniversary of the launch of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the scheme now gives more than 60 crore beneficiaries an annual health cover of ₹5 lakh, calling it “the largest healthcare scheme in the world”. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda marked the day with updated scheme data released by the Health Ministry on 22 September 2026.

The exam angle

Issue: Eight years on, PM-JAY has become near-universal in reach and has financed over 13 crore hospital admissions. Has it moved India towards Universal Health Coverage, or mainly insured hospitalisation while household spending on outpatient care remains high?

Written for APPSC Group 1, TGPSC Group 1 and UPSC Civil Services. More from 24 September 2026 or all current affairs.

Ayushman Bharat at Eight: 48.5 Crore Cards, 13.25 Crore Admissions and, for the First Time, Every State and UT on Board · PrepShark