UPSC Prelims 2022 Q19: Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission — Explained

With reference to Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, consider the following statements:

1. Private and public hospitals must adopt it.

2. As it aims to achieve universal health coverage, every citizen of India should be part of it ultimately.

3. It has seamless portability across the country.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Statement-wise explanation

  • 1: correct — ABDM is built to cover both public and private health facilities: the Health Facility Registry lists public and private hospitals, clinics and labs on one national platform. The official key reads the statement as saying the mission is meant to be adopted across both sectors. Strictly, joining is optional. No law compels any hospital to join ABDM, and the mission calls itself consent-based. The word 'must' is why many candidates marked this statement wrong (see the answer dispute note).
  • 2: correct — When the Prime Minister launched ABDM nationwide on 27 September 2021, the government said every citizen would get a digital health ID (now the 14-digit ABHA number). The mission's stated purpose is to support universal health coverage through a national digital health ecosystem, so its eventual target is the whole population. The official key accepts 'ultimately' as describing this goal. It does not mean enrolment is compulsory: a July 2022 reply in Parliament said creating an ABHA number is voluntary.
  • 3: correct — The Cabinet approved ABDM's national roll-out in February 2022, with a budget of ₹1,600 crore for five years. It said the mission would enable national portability of health services. With an ABHA number and consent, a patient's records can be fetched at any ABDM-enabled facility in any state. This statement is the one every answer key agrees on.

How to eliminate

Statement 3 is the safest. Portability is the main selling point of any national digital health ID, so keep it. That leaves only the options containing 3: '3 only', '1 and 3 only', and '1, 2 and 3'. Now weigh the strong words. 'Must adopt' in Statement 1 is an absolute, and ABDM is a consent-based, voluntary platform. That reasoning leads most candidates to '3 only', and most coaching keys gave that answer. UPSC's final key instead marked all three correct. It read Statement 1 as describing the mission's intended reach across public and private hospitals, and Statement 2 as its end goal ('ultimately'). Elimination therefore does not reliably reach the official answer here. Facts to remember: ABDM covers public and private facilities, aims for every citizen to have an ABHA, offers nationwide portability, and is voluntary for both citizens and facilities.

Know more

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The National Health Authority (NHA) implements it. It does not provide treatment or insurance. It is the digital infrastructure ('rails') that connects patients, doctors, hospitals, labs and insurers.

Timeline

  • 15 Aug 2020: pilot (then the National Digital Health Mission) announced from the Red Fort; run in six UTs: Ladakh, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep.
  • 27 Sep 2021: nationwide launch by the PM, on the third anniversary of PM-JAY.
  • Feb 2022: Cabinet approves national roll-out, ₹1,600 crore for five years (2021-22 to 2025-26).

Building blocks

Component What it does
ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) 14-digit health ID for a citizen; records are linked to it
Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) Verified list of doctors, nurses and other professionals (modern and traditional systems)
Health Facility Registry (HFR) Directory of public and private facilities
Consent manager / Health Information Exchange Records move only with the patient's consent
Unified Health Interface (UHI) Open network for discovering and booking services across apps
National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) Common gateway for insurance claims

Design principles: voluntary, consent-based, federated (records stay where they are created and are not pooled centrally), interoperable and portable.

Do not confuse: AB PM-JAY (2018) is health insurance (₹5 lakh per family per year). ABDM (2021) is the digital backbone. Both fall under the 'Ayushman Bharat' umbrella, and both are run by the NHA.

In the news

The Prime Minister launched ABDM nationwide on 27 September 2021. In February 2022 the Cabinet approved its national roll-out with ₹1,600 crore for five years. Both events came in the year before the June 2022 Prelims, and ABHA enrolment was in the news throughout that period.

NCERT Concepts to Revise

  • E-governance: ABDM is a digital-governance platform. Knowing how e-governance services are rolled out helps you judge claims about who must adopt it.

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