One donor can save up to eight lives. In 2025, India crossed 20,000 organ transplants in a single year for the first time ever. This article explains how the country’s organ donation system works and how it grew.
Must Know
Organ Donation: The Basics
What Governs Organ Donation
- Full formTHOA is the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994.
- RoleIt is the core law governing organ donation in India.
- ScopeIt allows both deceased and living donors to donate organs.
The Apex Body: NOTTO
- Full formNOTTO is the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation.
- RoleIt is India’s apex body for organ and tissue transplantation.
- FoundedIt was established in 2014, under an amendment to THOA.
- HQIt is headquartered at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.
The Observance Day
- DateIndian Organ Donation Day is observed every year on 3 August.
- OriginIt marks India’s first successful deceased-donor heart transplant on 3 August 1994.
- ChangeThe day was previously on 27 November; it moved to 3 August in 2023.
India’s Record Year
- NumberIndia performed 20,138 organ transplants in 2025, a record.
- GrowthThat is up 6.5% from 2024 and more than four times the 4,990 in 2013.
India’s Global Rank
- TotalIndia ranks 3rd globally in total organ transplants, behind the US and China.
- LivingIt ranks 1st in the world for living-donor transplants.
Good to Know
How the System Really Works
Eight Lives From One Donor
- PotentialOne deceased donor can save up to eight lives.
- OrgansThese include heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas and intestines.
The Demand Gap
- GapA real gap remains between organ demand and supply.
- PriorityUnion Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel called this a “national priority” at the 2026 event.
Who Leads Regionally
- TotalDelhi-NCR led all of India in total transplants in 2025.
- RunnersTamil Nadu and Maharashtra followed.
- DeceasedTamil Nadu led specifically in deceased-donor donations.
Organ Donation Month
- MonthNOTTO designates July as “Organ Donation Month” each year.
- ReasonIt marks the month THOA was enacted (8 July 1994), distinct from the August day.
Deceased vs Living Donors
- MeaningA deceased donor has died and their organs are used after consent.
- MeaningA living donor is alive and gives an organ, usually a kidney or part of a liver.
- DeceasedDeceased-donor transplants grew from 837 in 2013 to 3,526 in 2025.
- GrowthThat is more than a fourfold rise, but from a small base.
- MixLiving donation still dominates the total.
- WhyLiving donation is easier to plan and needs less family consent in a crisis.
- ContrastIn many Western countries, deceased donation is the larger source.
- ImplicationRaising deceased donation would let India serve more patients, not just those with a living donor.
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Great to Know
Why It Matters
Why Growth Came from Living Donors
- DriverIndia’s transplant growth has been driven mostly by living donors.
- CompareThis is the reverse of many Western countries, where deceased donation is the larger source.
- CauseThe difference reflects family consent practices and hospital infrastructure.
A National Platform
- Weak pointFragmented state-level record-keeping was a long-standing weak point.
- Why it mattersOrgan matching often needs to happen across state lines, under real time pressure.
- AnswerA single national platform, like the new e-Pratyaropan portal, addresses this.
Current Affairs
📰 Current Affairs
The 16th Organ Donation Day
- EventOn 3 August 2026, NOTTO marked the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day in New Delhi.
- LaunchIt launched the e-Pratyaropan portal and the NOTTO mobile app.
- CampaignNOTTO also launched the “Jug Jug Jiyo Abhiyaan,” a year-long awareness drive.
- AwardAIIMS Bhubaneswar won the “Emerging Government Institution in Organ Transplantation” award.
- SourceOrganiser, India Whispers.
A Heart by Train
- EventOn 31 July 2026, Indian Railways transported India’s first live donor heart by train, from Surat to Ahmedabad.
- TrainThe heart travelled on Vande Bharat Express for transplant at the U.N. Mehta Institute, Ahmedabad.
- CoordinationRailways, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Gujarat State Police and medical teams coordinated closely.
- Green CorridorA dedicated Green Corridor ran from Platform 1 to the Institute for fast transfer.
5 Lakh Pledges
- EventOn 22 June 2026, India crossed 5 lakh organ donation pledges.
- CreditNOTTO Director Dr Anil Kumar credited sustained awareness campaigns.
- DriverPM Modi’s repeated Mann Ki Baat appeals for organ donation were cited as a driver.
- PortalThe Aadhaar-based pledge portal is notto.abdm.gov.in.
- SourcePIB.
PYQ
Exam Point of View
MCQ Questions
- ScopeTHOA, NOTTO and organ donation appear in UPSC and other competitive exams.
Written Answer Questions
- ThemeOrgan donation and health governance are recurring GS-II themes.
Beyond the answer
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