“Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, the government of India is continuously streamlining organ donation and transplant so that more and more citizens can benefit from it. We are committed to improving the infrastructure and availability of trained manpower to ensure timely and smooth movement of organs between cities and stated and successful organ transplants”, this was stated by Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda,

Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, on the occasion of the 15^th Indian Organ Donation Day organized by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) under the aegis of Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, here today. The event was also attended by Smt. Nivedita Shukla Verma, Acting Secretary, Health & Family Welfare and Dr. Sunita Sharma, Director General of Health Services.

The 15^th edition of Indian Organ Donation Day was held under the year-long national campaign "Angdaan- Jeevan Sanjeevani Abhiyan", which seeks to promote organ and tissue donation across the country. The campaign emphasizes the need for increased public participation, dispelling myths and misconceptions, and motivating citizens to pledge for organ donation. The event aimed at raising awareness about the critical importance of organ donation and to honor the selfless donors and their families who have given the gift of life.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Nadda stated that “today is a day that celebrates the spirit of giving compassion, hope and triumph of life over the loss. Organ donation is one of the noblest acts of humanity. In a world where medical science has made incredible progress, the gift of an organ is one of the most profound contributions one can make for someone else.”

Underlining the importance of organ donation, Shri Nadda stated that “there is an alarming rise in the cases of organ failures posing a serious threat to public health and increasing strain on the healthcare system. Every year thousands of people wait for organ transplants. Despite the urgent need there remains a significant gap between the number of patients waiting for transplants and the number of available donors.” “This gap is not due to lack of willingness but often due to lack of awareness and hesitation rooted in the myths and misconceptions. That’s why today is an important day which gives us a platform to spread awareness, encourage conversation and honor the donors and their families”, he further added.

Highlighting the strides made by India in the direction of organ donation, Shri Nadda stated that “since the launch of Aadhar based NOTTO online pledge website in 2023, more than 3.30 lakh citizens have pledged their organs to donate, marking a historic moment in public participation. This surge in pledge registration reflects a growing awareness and dedication amongst the citizens towards this shared goal.” He further added that “due to the unwavering dedication of our transplant professionals, India achieved a remarkable milestone of performing over 18,900 organ transplants in 2024, the highest ever recorded in a single year. This is a significant leap from fewer than 5,000 transplants in 2013. India ranks third globally in the total number of organ transplants, behind only the United States of America and China.

Shri Nadda also highlighted that “India leads the world in hand transplants showcasing our cutting-edge surgical capabilities and the unwavering dedication of our medical professionals.”

Shri Nadda addressed the issue of gap between requirement of organs and available donors and emphasized the need for greater awareness, more public dialogues, timely consent from families and robust system to support diseased donation. He stated that “Each organ donor is a silent hero, someone whose selfless act transforms grief into hope and loss into lives. One person can save up to 8 lives by donating heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and intestines. Additionally, countless more lives can be transformed through tissue donations.”

Underlining the Government’s efforts for organ transplantation, Shri Nadda stated that “to make organ transplant more accessible, financial support of up to ₹15 lakh is provided to poor patients for transplantation of kidneys, liver, heart and lungs under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi. Poor patients are provided support of up to ₹10,000 per month after transplant to cover the medical expenses. Kidney transplant package has also been included in Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri- Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).”

Shri Nadda emphasized that “unhealthy lifestyle and food habits are among the major factors leading to organ failure. It is therefore necessary to take preventive measures and lifestyle interventions.” Urging all to adopt Yoga to promote overall wellbeing, he stated that “Ayurveda and Yoga offer simple practices to strengthen our organs and boost immunity. We must adopt Yoga to promote overall wellbeing.”

Shri Nadda further added that “the Hon’ble Prime Minister has time and again encouraged us for taking proactive steps towards better health. One such powerful message he has given is the call to reduce the consumption of oil by 10 percent, a simple yet impactful step towards building a healthier disease-free future. He urged “to take this small but meaningful action as this is not just about cutting down the oil consumption, but also about making conscious choice to protect our health, prevent lifestyle related diseases and improve our overall well-being.”

Shri Nadda extended his gratitude to the donor families for their courage, compassion and sacrifice and commended the doctors, coordinators, nurses and NGOs and other stakeholders for their “unwavering dedication that makes the second chance at life possible.” He also acknowledged the work done by States and Union Territories for augmenting organ donation and transplants and urged to learn from best practices implemented by the different states.  He gave a clarion call “to make organ donation a jan andolan, a people’s movement that reflects the essence of Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam, which means the world is one family.”

Smt. Nivedita Shukla Verma expressed heartfelt gratitude to organ donors and their families for their life-saving contributions. Marking India’s Organ Donation Day, she recalled the 1994 Transplantation of Human Organs Act and the first heart transplant at AIIMS, events that shaped the country’s organ donation efforts. She also acknowledged the vital role of states, hospitals, and healthcare professionals in this cause.

Smt. Verma highlighted the global challenge of organ shortage, noting that India’s organ donation rate remains under 1% relative to the population. Over 63,000 individuals currently need kidney transplants, and around 22,000 liver transplants. Despite this, awareness is growing, especially after Prime Minister addressed the issue in Mann Ki Baat. She also emphasized the need for timely organ donations from accident victims and those who suffer from heart strokes. In response, the government is working to promote organ donation in every village and household, with increasing public participation.

The Smt. Verma emphasized the government’s continued efforts to strengthen the transplantation ecosystem through NOTTO, which now has over 3.3 lakh registered donors. Key priorities include upgrading infrastructure, improving coordination and service delivery, and building skilled manpower through ongoing training. She urged the states to fully utilize central government support, with a focus on better data management and monitoring on NOTTO website to scale up organ donation efforts. She outlined three key areas for progress: identifying more potential donors, expanding infrastructure, and developing human resources stressing that awareness and timeliness are essential to saving lives through ethical organ donation.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Sunita Sharma commended the donor families calling them the “the real heroes” and thanked them “for their invaluable contribution to this noble cause.” She acknowledged the various steps that are being taken to promote organ donation and improve transplantation efforts across different states. She emphasized that “to truly make a difference, all stakeholders need to work together to bridge the gap between the demand for organs and their availability.”  

The Annual Report 2024-2025 of NOTTO, the e-newsletter of NOTTO, the Awareness booklet for the general public and students, the booklet on Promotion of Organ Health through Ayurveda and Yoga, and the booklet on Best Practices of States in Organ Donation and Transplantation were released during the event. In addition, 10 donor families and 4 recipients were felicitated, along with the winners of the ROTTO Transplant Games.

Awards were presented to honour outstanding contributions in organ donation and transplantation across multiple categories, including Best ROTTO, State and UT recognitions, institutional excellence, and individual achievements. ROTTO North was named Best ROTTO Region, while Tamil Nadu won Best State, Puducherry was awarded Best Union Territory, and Manipur received Best Northeast State. Odisha, Punjab, and Rajasthan were recognized as Emerging States, with Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Gujarat receiving awards for Promotion of Organ Donation. Telangana had the Highest Deceased Organ Donation Rate.

Among institutions, Civil Hospital, Surat was awarded Best NOTTO-RC, and KDRC-ITS, Gujarat was named Best Government Hospital in Transplantation. AIIMS Nagpur was recognized as an Emerging Institution, while the National Eye Bank at AIIMS Delhi was honored for pioneering work in Eye Banking. The Best Brain Stem Death Certifying Team award went to Madras Medical College & Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Tamil Nadu, with special recognition for Dr. Raghavendran R. and Dr. Gomathi Karmegam from ROTO South.

An organ donation pledge was also undertaken to encourage commitment to organ donation among attendees.

Shri Vijay Nehra, Joint Secretary, MoHFW, Anil Kumar, Director, NOTTO, senior officers from the Ministry, medical professionals, donor families, transplant recipients, and other key stakeholders were also present at occasion.

Background: India has made significant progress in the field of organ and tissue transplantation, with increasing public awareness and improved infrastructure. However, the demand for organs far exceeds the availability, and thousands of patients continue to wait for life-saving transplants. The Government, through NOTTO, remains committed to strengthening the organ donation ecosystem in the country. As part of the national campaign "Angdaan- Jeevan Sanjeevani Abhiyan, Organ Donation Month was observed from 1^st to 31^st July, 2025 various awareness activities such as webinars and setting up of pledging and information kiosks etc. were organized nationwide.

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