UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — E-Sanjeevani Crosses 50 Crore Teleconsultations, Strengthening Access to Healthcare Across the Country

Q1. With reference to the two modes in which India's National Telemedicine Service (eSanjeevani) operates, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. In the assisted mode, the patient is physically present at a primary-care centre, where a health worker or medical officer connects with a doctor or specialist at a distant facility.
  2. The patient-to-doctor mode is designed mainly to let primary-care centres draw on the expertise of specialists posted at medical colleges and district hospitals.
  3. In the hub-and-spoke variant, medical colleges and district hospitals serve as the spokes, while sub-health centres and primary health centres serve as the hubs.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q2. Consider the following facts about India's National Telemedicine Service as of September 2026: I. Cumulative teleconsultations have crossed 50 crore since the service began in 2019. II. The platform handles an average of about 2.5 to 3 lakh consultations a day. III. The network has over 1.42 lakh primary-care spokes and about 19,500 hubs. Which of the following inferences can validly be drawn from the above facts?

  1. The average spoke conducts only a handful of teleconsultations a day, so a large national total can coexist with low use at individual centres.
  2. The platform has so far served roughly 50 crore different individuals.
  3. On average, there are more than five spokes for every hub in the network.
  4. The platform has measurably improved health outcomes, such as recovery rates, among those who used it.
  • A. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q3. With reference to the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. ABDM stores all citizens' health records in a single central database, from which any registered doctor may retrieve a patient's history.
  2. Creating an ABHA makes the holder eligible for hospitalisation cover under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
  3. A patient can create an ABHA through the patient-to-doctor teleconsultation service itself, without first visiting a health facility.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q4. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Although eSanjeevani is a single national platform guided by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the availability of doctors at its hubs can differ considerably from one State to another.
  2. Public health and sanitation, and hospitals and dispensaries, are entries in the State List, so States are primarily responsible for staffing and running public health facilities.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q5. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are suited to serve as the spokes, rather than the hubs, of a doctor-to-doctor teleconsultation network.
  2. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the other pillar of Ayushman Bharat, provides health cover for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q6. With reference to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which act as the spokes of eSanjeevani, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Outpatient consultations at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are reimbursed to them under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
  2. Their services go beyond maternal and child health and communicable diseases to include non-communicable diseases and mental health.
  3. They were created mainly by upgrading existing sub-health centres and primary health centres rather than by adding a separate new tier of facilities.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q7. Consider the following assertion: eSanjeevani is better described as digital public infrastructure for health than as merely a government software application. Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion?

  1. It is a government-built platform that operates at population scale across all States and Union Territories.
  2. It is interoperable with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, so consultation records can be linked to a citizen's health account and, with consent, used by other providers.
  3. Its AI-based clinical decision-support tool won a Gold Award at the National Awards for e-Governance 2026.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. A patient with poorly controlled diabetes visits an Ayushman Arogya Mandir in a remote village where no doctor is present that day. Given how India's National Telemedicine Service is designed, which one of the following is the most appropriate pathway?

  • A. The patient is sent directly to a doctor at the nearest AIIMS, as chronic disease care lies outside primary care
  • B. A health worker at the centre connects the patient by video to a doctor at a hub, who then advises on treatment
  • C. The patient is enrolled under PM-JAY so that a private clinic nearby is reimbursed for the outpatient visit
  • D. The patient is told to consult a doctor from home on the OPD app, as assisted consultations are not offered at centres