Which of the following is responsible for implementation of “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana”?
- (1)National Health Authority
- (2)World Health Organisation
- (3)Niti Aayog
- (4)Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
Answer
Why
Correct — option (1), National Health Authority.
The National Health Authority's own “About NHA” page on the PM-JAY website opens: “National Health Authority (NHA) is the apex body responsible for implementing India’s flagship public health insurance/assurance scheme called “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana”.”
It adds that NHA was set up to implement PM-JAY at the national level, while State Health Agencies implement it in the states.
The Union Cabinet created this arrangement on 2 January 2019. PIB's release that day says the Cabinet approved restructuring the National Health Agency as the National Health Authority “for better implementation of Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)”.
The body responsible is the National Health Authority.
The idea to remember: AB PM-JAY is implemented by the National Health Authority at the national level and by State Health Agencies in the states.
Why the others are wrong
- (2)World Health Organisation — The WHO is an international health agency, not a body of the Government of India, so it does not run an Indian government scheme.
PM-JAY is fully funded by the Government, with costs shared between the Centre and the States, and its implementation is led by the National Health Authority, per NHA's page.
- (3)Niti Aayog — NITI Aayog has a different nodal role. Rajasthan's Economic Review 2020-21 says NITI Aayog is nodal for the Sustainable Development Goals in India, and it has released the SDG India Index.
PM-JAY's implementing body is the National Health Authority, an attached office of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- (4)Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India — IRDAI is the regulator of the insurance sector. Regulating insurers is a different job from running a government health scheme.
PIB's 2019 release says it is the National Health Authority that is to have “full accountability, authority and mandate to implement PM-JAY”.
Concept
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) was launched on 23 September 2018 in Ranchi, Jharkhand, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to NHA's page.
It provides a cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. The page says over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families, about 50 crore people, are eligible, based on SECC 2011.
NHA began as the National Health Agency, a registered society from 23 May 2018. It was reconstituted as the National Health Authority on 2 January 2019.
RPSC's 2021 syllabus lists “Health care; Infectious, Non-Infectious and Zoonotic diseases.” under Science & Technology, and current flagship schemes under Economic Concepts and Indian Economy.
NHA is an attached office of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, governed by a Governing Board chaired by the Union Health Minister and headed by a CEO of the rank of Secretary.
In Rajasthan, the Economic Review 2020-21 describes Ayushman Bharat-Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Swasthaya Bima Yojana, launched on 1 September 2019. For its new phase from 30 January 2021, the Rajasthan State Health Assurance Agency signed an MoU with The New India Assurance on 14 January 2021.
Key facts
- NHA is the apex body responsible for implementing AB PM-JAY; State Health Agencies implement it in the states.
- 2 January 2019: Cabinet approved restructuring the National Health Agency as the National Health Authority (PIB).
- NHA is an attached office of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; its Governing Board is chaired by the Union Health Minister.
- AB PM-JAY was launched on 23 September 2018 in Ranchi; it covers ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalization.
- PM-JAY subsumed the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, which had been launched in 2008 (NHA).
Sources: National Health Authority pages on pmjay.gov.in (the PM-JAY page last updated 12 January 2021); PIB Cabinet release, 2 January 2019.
Study next
Common traps
- Confusing a regulator with an implementer: IRDAI regulates insurance; NHA runs PM-JAY.
- Confusing the old and new names: the National Health Agency, a society, became the National Health Authority on 2 January 2019.
- Assigning every national programme to NITI Aayog: it is nodal for SDGs, while PM-JAY sits with the Health Ministry's NHA.
A question can name a scheme and ask which body implements it, with regulators, international agencies and advisory bodies as options.
A question can also ask a scheme's cover amount, launch date or the date its implementing body was set up.
Related PYQs
In Rajasthan, which agency is entrusted with the responsibility of implementation of PM-KUSUM Yojana (component A) i.e. installation of small solar power plants of 0.5 MW to 2 MW capacity ?
- (1) Bureau of Energy Efficiency
- (2) Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited
- (3) Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited
- (4) Rajasthan Vidyut Prasaran Nigam
Answer(2)
Same kind of fact, the agency that implements a scheme. That question asks which agency in Rajasthan implements PM-KUSUM component A (RPSC's key: Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited); this one asks which body implements AB PM-JAY.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
Under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the health cover provided per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization is
- (a)₹1 lakh
- (b)₹3 lakh
- (c)₹5 lakh
- (d)₹10 lakh
Answer(3) — NHA's page gives a cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year. Option (2) is the top of the ₹30,000 to ₹3,00,000 range the page gives for earlier government schemes; options (1) and (4) are not PM-JAY's cover. - practice — not a real PYQ
The National Health Agency was reconstituted as the National Health Authority on
- (a)23 May 2018
- (b)23 September 2018
- (c)2 January 2019
- (d)1 September 2019
Answer(3) — NHA's page and PIB give 2 January 2019. Option (1) is when the Agency began as a society, option (2) is PM-JAY's launch, and option (4) is when Rajasthan's AB-MGRSBY was launched.