Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, chaired the World TB Day 2026 national launch event held in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh

1. At a Glance

• World TB Day 2026 national event chaired by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida (UP), 24 March 2026 [S1][S2].
• Marked launch of the intensified TB Mukt Bharat 100-Day Campaign, TB Mukt Bharat App and TB Mukt Urban Ward Initiative [S2].
• India reaffirmed pursuit of TB elimination by 2025 under SDG 3.3 — 5 years ahead of the global 2030 target [S3][S4].
• High UPSC salience: health governance, SDG progress, centre-state delivery, vulnerable groups.

2. Why in the News

• 24 March 2026: National launch of intensified 100-day campaign covering 1.58 lakh villages and urban wards with micro-plans [S2].
• India reported 21% decline in TB incidence and 25% decline in TB mortality over the past decade, outpacing global progress [S1].
• Treatment coverage at 92%; undetected ("missing") TB cases reduced from >10 lakh to <1 lakh [S1][S3].

3. Background & Evolution

• 1962: National TB Programme (NTP) launched [S4].
• 1997: RNTCP with DOTS strategy rolled out [S4].
• 2017: National Strategic Plan (2017–25) set 2025 elimination goal [S4].
• 2020: RNTCP renamed National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) [S3].
• 2022: Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA) launched with Ni-kshay Mitra community-support arm [S3].
• Dec 2024: First 100-day intensified campaign launched at Panchkula, Haryana [S2].
• Mar 2026: Second intensified 100-day campaign launched in Greater Noida [S2].

4. Core Static Facts

• Implementing ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW); nodal — Central TB Division (CTD), DGHS [S3].
• Programme: National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) [S3].
• India target: TB elimination by 2025; SDG 3.3 global target — 2030 [S3][S4].
• Ni-kshay Portal: web-based patient management & surveillance — CTD + NIC + WHO India [S3].
• Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY): nutritional DBT raised from ₹500 → ₹1,000/month (₹3,000–₹6,000 per patient over treatment course) [S3].
• Since Dec 2024 campaign launch: >20 crore vulnerable individuals screened; 32.65 lakh TB cases detected, of which ~10.9 lakh asymptomatic [S2].
• India accounts for ~25% of global TB burden (WHO Global TB Report 2025) [S3].
• Treatment coverage: 53% (2015) → 92% (2024) [S3].
• Ni-kshay Mitras: >2.59 lakh registered; ~1.18 crore commitments [S3].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Social / Equity - Targets urban poor, tribals, migrants, household contacts — bridges last-mile gaps [S2]. - Food baskets extended to household contacts to address malnutrition–TB link [S3].

Administrative - Micro-planning at village/ward level (1.58 lakh units) — convergence with Panchayati Raj & ULBs [S2]. - 100-day campaigns demonstrate mission-mode, time-bound delivery model [S2].

Scientific / Technological - Use of AI-enabled handheld chest X-ray, NAAT/CBNAAT molecular diagnostics under NTEP [S3]. - Ni-kshay = real-time national TB surveillance system [S3]. - New TB Mukt Bharat App for ward-level monitoring [S2].

Economic - TB imposes large productivity losses on working-age population; DBT nutrition support cushions wage loss [S3].

Governance / Federal - Jan Bhagidari (people's participation) — Ni-kshay Mitras include individuals, corporates, NGOs, faith bodies [S3]. - State-led campaign micro-plans; central financing through NHM [S2].

6. Recent Developments

• 7 Dec 2024: First 100-day intensified campaign launched at Panchkula by Nadda [S2].
• 2025: MoU & MP-engagement drives in UP, Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan to mobilise Ni-kshay Mitras [S2].
• 23 Mar 2025: >1.51 crore TB patients on treatment cumulatively recorded [S3].
• 24 Mar 2026: National World TB Day event, Greater Noida; intensified Phase-II 100-day campaign launched [S1][S2].
• WHO Global TB Report 2025: India's progress flagged among high-burden countries [S3].

7. Prelims Hooks

• World TB Day observed on 24 March (anniversary of Robert Koch's 1882 discovery of M. tuberculosis) [S3].
• NTEP = renamed RNTCP in 2020 [S3].
• India's TB elimination target year: 2025 (SDG: 2030) [S3].
• PMTBMBA launched in 2022; Ni-kshay Mitra is its community arm [S3].
• Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana nutrition support: ₹1,000/month (revised from ₹500) [S3].
• Ni-kshay portal developed by Central TB Division + NIC + WHO India [S3].
• Past decade: TB incidence ↓ 21%, TB mortality ↓ 25% in India [S1].
• TB treatment coverage in India: 92% (2024) vs 53% (2015) [S3].
• 100-day campaign covers 1.58 lakh villages/urban wards [S2].
• World TB Day 2026 venue: Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, UP [S2].
• India bears ~25% of global TB burden [S3].
• Tools: CBNAAT, TrueNat, AI-CXR, BPaL/BPaLM regimens under NTEP [S3].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Government policies for health sector; vulnerable sections; SDG-3.
• GS-III: Science & Tech in disease control; issues relating to development.
• Likely question stems:
• "Despite a 21% fall in incidence, India is unlikely to meet its 2025 TB elimination target. Examine the structural bottlenecks."
• "Discuss the role of Jan Bhagidari (Ni-kshay Mitra) in transforming India's TB response."
• "Evaluate the 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Campaign as a mission-mode public health model."

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• SDG-3 (Good Health & Well-being) — TB targets fit under 3.3.
• National Health Mission (NHM) — funding umbrella for NTEP.
• Ayushman Bharat–PMJAY & HWCs — TB screening at HWC level.
• WHO End TB Strategy (2015–35) — global benchmark.
• Drug-Resistant TB (MDR/XDR-TB) & BPaLM regimen — current treatment shift.
• One Health approach — zoonotic TB.
• PM-POSHAN / Anaemia Mukt Bharat — nutrition–infection linkages.
• DBT in welfare schemes — NPY as case study.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• NTEP is not RNTCP — RNTCP was renamed in 2020.
• India's elimination target is 2025, not 2030 (SDG date).
• Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana ≠ Ni-kshay Mitra: former is DBT to patient; latter is community adoption.
• World TB Day is 24 March, not 24 February (often confused with World Cancer Day timing).
• PMTBMBA launched in 2022, not with RNTCP/NTEP rebranding (2020).
• Nodal body is Central TB Division, DGHS, MoHFW — not ICMR.

11. Sources

• [S1] Union Minister J.P. Nadda chaired World TB Day 2026 national launch (Greater Noida) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2244703 — (tier 1)
• [S2] Union Health Minister to Preside Over National Event on World TB Day 2026 / 100-Day Campaign launches — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2243776 ; https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2081383 — (tier 1)
• [S3] World Tuberculosis (TB) Day – 2025 (PIB feature on NTEP, Ni-kshay, PMTBMBA) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2114549 — (tier 1)
• [S4] National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme — DGHS, MoHFW — https://dghs.mohfw.gov.in/national-tuberculosis-elimination-programme.php — (tier 1)