Presidential Address at Commencement of Budget Session Highlights Strengthening of Public Healthcare System

1. At a Glance

• President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the Budget Session 2025 highlighted flagship public-health achievements: AB-PMJAY, Ayushman Vay Vandana, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Sickle Cell Mission, Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar [1].
• Functions as the constitutional address under Article 87(1) and is the official government roadmap on health — high-yield for GS-II (Welfare schemes, Health) and Prelims scheme-mapping.

2. Why in the News

• Budget Session 2025: President's address (PIB release, 2025) consolidated mission-mode public-health milestones [1].
• Coincides with expansion of AB-PMJAY to all 70+ senior citizens (launched 29 Oct 2024) via the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card [3].

3. Background & Evolution

• 2018: Ayushman Bharat launched with two pillars — PM-JAY (₹5 lakh cover) and Health & Wellness Centres (renamed Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in 2023) [1].
• 1 Jul 2023: PM launched National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission from Shahdol, MP, targeting elimination by 2047 [4].
• 29 Oct 2024: AB-PMJAY extended to all citizens 70 years+ irrespective of income via Vay Vandana Card [3].
• 2025: President's Budget Session address reports cumulative progress [1].

4. Core Static Facts

• Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare; nodal body National Health Authority (NHA) for PM-JAY [1][3].
• AB-PMJAY cover: ₹5 lakh per family per year, secondary + tertiary care [3].
• Ayushman Vay Vandana: ₹5 lakh cover, ~2000 medical procedures, all pre-existing diseases covered from Day 1, no waiting period [3].
• Sickle Cell Mission target: screen ~7 crore people across tribal areas, FY 2023-24 to 2025-26; runs under National Health Mission [4].
• Constitutional anchor: Address is delivered under Article 87(1) of the Constitution (joint sitting at commencement of first session each year).
• Key reported numbers (President's 2025 address) [1]:

• 11 crore hospital treatments under AB-PMJAY since inception

• 2.5 crore poor/vulnerable beneficiaries in last year
• ~1 crore Vay Vandana Cards issued; ~8 lakh seniors received free care
• 1.80 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs operational
• 6.5 crore screened under Sickle Cell Mission

• 7 crore women benefited via Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar

• Vay Vandana enrolment: 25 lakh in <2 months of launch; ₹40 cr treatments availed by ~22,000 seniors in early phase [2][3].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Social / Equity

• Universal-by-age design for 70+ removes means-test — first major demographic-universal health entitlement in India [3].
• Sickle cell burden concentrated in tribal belts (MP, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Maharashtra) — mission embeds tribal health into NHM [4].

Administrative / Federal

• PM-JAY operates via state implementation societies; opt-out states (e.g., earlier West Bengal, Odisha until 2024) created coverage gaps; Odisha onboarded via Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana co-branded card [3].
• Arogya Mandirs: rebranded HWCs deliver 12-package Comprehensive Primary Health Care [1].

Economic / Fiscal

• Public-financed insurance reduces catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure (OoPE), a stated NHP 2017 goal.
• Northeast capex push: new medical colleges, cancer institute, women & children's hospital cited by President [1].

Scientific / Technological

• Sickle Cell Genetic Status Cards + digital screening at point-of-care; integration with Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) [4].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 29 Oct 2024: Vay Vandana scheme launched for all 70+ citizens [3].
• Nov 2024: 25 lakh Vay Vandana enrolments milestone [2].
• 2024: Sickle Cell Mission crossed 6 crore screenings; President's address (2025) updates figure to 6.5 crore [1].
• 2025 Budget Session: President's address consolidates achievements [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• AB-PMJAY family cover: ₹5 lakh / year [3].
• Ayushman Vay Vandana eligibility: 70 years and above, irrespective of income [3].
• Date of Vay Vandana launch: 29 October 2024 [3].
• National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission launched from Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh in 2023; elimination target year 2047 [4].
• Sickle Cell Mission screening target: ~7 crore people over 3 years (FY24–FY26) [4].
• Health & Wellness Centres renamed Ayushman Arogya Mandirs; 1.80 lakh operational [1].
• Nodal authority for PM-JAY: National Health Authority (not NITI Aayog) [3].
• President's address at start of first session each year — Article 87(1) of the Constitution.
• Vay Vandana card covers ~2000 procedures; no waiting period for pre-existing diseases [3].
• Toll-free for Vay Vandana: 14555 [3].
• AB-PMJAY launched in 2018, named after Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay legacy; world's largest public-funded health assurance scheme.
• Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar highlighted as benefiting 7 crore women [1].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Issues relating to development & management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources; Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections.
• GS-III (peripheral): Inclusive growth; government budgeting.
• Plausible question stems: 1. "Evaluate the extent to which Ayushman Bharat has shifted India towards Universal Health Coverage. What gaps remain?" 2. "The expansion of PM-JAY to all citizens above 70 years marks a paradigm shift from targeted to universal entitlement. Discuss." 3. "Mission-mode public-health programmes (Sickle Cell, TB, JE) reflect a vertical-disease approach. Examine its merits and limitations."

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• National Health Policy 2017 — sets OoPE-reduction and UHC targets that PM-JAY operationalises.
• PM-ABHIM (Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission) — capex backbone for surveillance & critical care.
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) — ABHA ID, UHI; complements PM-JAY.
• National Health Mission (NHM) — umbrella under which Sickle Cell Mission runs.
• National TB Elimination Programme — another 2025-target mission-mode programme.
• U-WIN / Mission Indradhanush — immunisation flagship.
• Article 87 & President's Address — constitutional/Polity angle.
• NITI Aayog Health Index — outcome measurement linkage.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Vay Vandana is not a pension scheme — confusion with PM Vaya Vandana Yojana (LIC, MoF), which is a pension product. Different ministry, different design.
• PM-JAY is administered by NHA, not NITI Aayog or Insurance Regulatory body.
• Ayushman Arogya Mandir = renamed HWC (2023), not a new physical scheme.
• Sickle Cell Mission launched from Shahdol, MP (2023) — not Chhattisgarh; elimination year is 2047, not 2030.
• AB-PMJAY cover of ₹5 lakh is per family per year, not per individual.
• President's address is under Article 87, not Article 86 (Article 86 covers right to address; Article 87 covers special/joint address).