Update on NPCBVI

I have enough Tier 1 facts. Writing the note now.

Update on NPCBVI — UPSC Study Note

1. At a Glance

• NPCBVI = National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment, India's oldest centrally sponsored disease-control scheme on eye health [S2][S3].
• Aims to reduce avoidable blindness prevalence to 0.25% by 2025; covers cataract, cornea, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, refractive errors [S3].
• March 2026 PIB update: 396 eye banks functional; cornea collections climbing — 62,370 (2022-23) → 66,434 (2023-24) → 69,848 (2024-25) [S1].

2. Why in the News

• 23 March 2026 PIB release by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare reporting eye-bank network strength and three-year cornea collection trend [S1].
• Reinforces government claim of "steady growth" in corneal donations under NPCBVI's eye-banking vertical [S1].

3. Background & Evolution

• 1976: Launched as National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) — 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme; original target: cut blindness prevalence from 1.4% → 0.3% [S3].
• 2001-02 survey: prevalence estimated at 1.1% [S3].
• 2017: Programme expanded to cover all visual impairment and renamed NPCBVI; revised goal 0.25% by 2025 [S3].
• 2022-2025: Mission Mode Cataract Surgery campaign — "Netra Jyoti Abhiyan" to clear cataract backlog [S2].

4. Core Static Facts

• Implementing ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Directorate General of Health Services [S1][S3].
• Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme (originally 100% central; now cost-shared with States/UTs) [S3].
• Goal: Reduce avoidable blindness to 0.25% by 2025 [S3].
• Priority diseases: cataract, corneal blindness, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, childhood blindness, refractive errors [S2].
• Eye-banking support: financial assistance for infrastructure, equipment, training of ophthalmologists & eye-bank technicians, IEC, free supply of cornea storage medium to government eye banks [S1][S2].
• Functional eye banks: 396 (as reported by States/UTs, March 2026) [S1].
• Cornea collection: 62,370 (FY23) → 66,434 (FY24) → 69,848 (FY25) [S1].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Social / Health Equity - Corneal blindness disproportionately affects rural poor; eye-banking expansion targets supply-side gap [S1]. - Free cornea storage medium to government eye banks ensures public-sector capacity, not just private hospitals [S2].

Administrative - Implementation through State/UT Health Societies, district-level mobile units, and partnerships with NGOs/private hospitals [S1][S2]. - Data quality depends on State/UT reporting — number of functional eye banks is self-reported, a known weakness [S1].

Scientific / Technological - Adds diabetic retinopathy screening as priority disease — reflects epidemiological transition to NCDs [S2]. - Cornea transplant capacity hinges on donor pool; India still imports tissue despite collection growth [S1].

Governance / IEC - Mass-awareness campaigns timed with World Glaucoma Week, Eye Donation Fortnight, World Sight Day [S2].

International Linkage - Aligns with WHO VISION 2020: Right to Sight; complements India's 2024 WHO certification for trachoma elimination as public-health problem [S2].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 23 March 2026 — PIB update: 396 eye banks; FY25 cornea collection 69,848 [S1].
• 2024 — WHO declared India has eliminated trachoma as a public-health problem (linked NPCBVI vertical) [S2].
• 2022-25 — "Netra Jyoti Abhiyan" mission-mode cataract backlog drive completed [S2].

7. Prelims Hooks

• NPCB launched in 1976; renamed NPCBVI in 2017 [S3].
• Implementing ministry: MoHFW (not MoSJE, despite "disability" overlap) [S1].
• Revised goal: avoidable blindness prevalence to 0.25% by 2025 [S3].
• Number of functional eye banks (March 2026): 396 [S1].
• Cornea collected in 2024-25: 69,848 [S1].
• Netra Jyoti Abhiyan — mission-mode cataract drive (2022-25) [S2].
• Diabetic retinopathy is a priority disease under NPCBVI [S2].
• WHO certified India trachoma-free as public-health problem in 2024 [S2].
• Originally a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme [S3].
• Free supply item under scheme: cornea storage medium to government eye banks [S2].
• Annual IEC events: World Glaucoma Week, Eye Donation Fortnight, World Sight Day [S2].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II — Government policies & interventions in Health sector; issues relating to development & management of social sector/services.
• GS-III — Science & Technology in health; achievements of Indians in S&T (transplantation medicine).
• Question stems: 1. "Despite a five-decade-old programme, corneal blindness persists in India. Critically examine the structural gaps in NPCBVI's eye-banking vertical." 2. "Discuss the epidemiological transition reflected in the shift from NPCB (1976) to NPCBVI (2017)." 3. "Eye-donation in India remains supply-constrained. Suggest reforms drawing from international best practices."

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• WHO VISION 2020 / SDG 3 — global framework NPCBVI maps to.
• Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 — legal basis for cornea retrieval.
• National Health Mission (NHM) — umbrella under which NPCBVI funds flow.
• Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) — covers childhood visual screening.
• Ayushman Bharat – HWCs — primary-level vision screening platform.
• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 — defines blindness/low vision.
• WHO trachoma elimination (India, 2024) — adjacent eye-health win.
• National NCD Programme — diabetic retinopathy overlap.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Confusing NPCB (1976) with NPCBVI (renamed 2017) — the "VI" addition is post-2017.
• Wrong ministry: it is MoHFW, not Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• "Netra Jyoti Abhiyan" targets cataract backlog, not cornea.
• Target year is 2025 at 0.25% — do not confuse with original 1976 target of 0.3%.
• Eye-bank figures are State/UT-reported, not an independent audit.
• NPCBVI is Centrally Sponsored, not Central Sector.

11. Sources

• [S1] Update on NPCBVI — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2243765 — (tier 1)
• [S2] Update on NPCBVI (2023 PIB) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1944598 — (tier 1)
• [S3] Update on NPCBVI (2022 PIB) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1813653 — (tier 1)