West Bengal Becomes 36th State/UT to Implement Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY

1. At a Glance

2. Why in the News

3. Background & Evolution

4. Core Static Facts

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Social / Equity - Targets income-poor & deprived households identified via SECC-2011 — directly addresses catastrophic health expenditure that pushes ~5-7 crore Indians into poverty annually [S2]. - Vay Vandana extension makes scheme age-universal for 70+ — first income-blind tranche in PM-JAY history [S4].

Federalism / Governance - WB had run a parallel state scheme (Swasthya Sathi) and refused PM-JAY citing branding/cost-sharing disputes — its accession marks resolution of a long-standing cooperative-federalism friction [S6][S1]. - MoU model: NHA-SHA twin architecture preserves State flexibility (State can run convergent scheme alongside).

Economic / Fiscal - Reduces out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) — India's OOPE share in THE was ~48% at scheme launch; UHC target is <25%. - Empanelment of private hospitals (~50% of empanelled facilities) leverages private capacity without parallel public investment.

Legal / Constitutional - Public health and hospitals are State subject (Entry 6, State List, Seventh Schedule) — hence Centre relies on MoU-based convergence, not central law. - Linked to Article 47 (DPSP — duty to raise nutrition & public health) and Article 21 right-to-health jurisprudence.

Scientific / Technological - Uses Beneficiary Identification System (BIS), Transaction Management System (TMS), and integration with ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission for portability and claims.

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

7. Prelims Hooks

8. Mains Relevance

Sample question stems 1. "Pan-India coverage of AB PM-JAY marks a milestone for Universal Health Coverage but exposes structural gaps in India's health architecture." Examine. 2. "Health being a State subject, Centre-led health-assurance schemes work only as well as cooperative federalism allows." Critically analyse with reference to AB PM-JAY's rollout. 3. Discuss the rationale and likely fiscal implications of extending AB PM-JAY to all citizens aged 70 and above irrespective of income.

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10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

11. Sources

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