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India Expands Organ Donation Network as Transplants Hit Record but Waitlist Remains Large

New Aadhaar‑verified pledges with national digital platforms seek to increase deceased donations to reduce a backlog of about 89,839 patients.

Overview

  • The Union health ministry launched the year‑long Jug Jug Jiyo campaign and unveiled the e‑Pratyaropan platform plus a NOTTO mobile app on Monday to scale outreach and create a verified national donor registry.
  • NOTTO’s 2025 annual report showed a record 20,138 organ transplants last year with deceased‑donor transplants rising to 3,526, but living donors still supply the majority of procedures.
  • The Centre says more than 500,000 Aadhaar‑verified donor pledges have been registered since the national pledge portal began in 2023, a step officials say will cut fraud and duplicate entries.
  • Andhra Pradesh announced a phased plan to upgrade 12 government teaching hospitals into transplant centres and is considering higher funeral grants and potential jobs or pensions for donor families to encourage cadaver donation.
  • Despite national progress, reporting gaps, uneven hospital capacity, legal and counselling delays, and cultural reluctance keep deceased donations low compared with demand and leave nearly 89,839 patients on the waitlist.