The country ranks third highest globally in total organ transplantation, behind only the United States of America and China

• India is first in living donor organ transplantation.

About organ transplantation in India

• Organ transplantation is the life-saving therapy for end-stage organ failure.
  • It refers to the grafting of any human organ from any living person or deceased person to some other living person for therapeutic purposes.
• Organ donation and transplantation is regulated by Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act 1994 (amended in 2011) 
  • It was introduced by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  • This legislation aims to regulate the removal, storage, and transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes while strictly prohibiting any commercial dealing.
• The National Organ Transplant Program (NOTP) aims to enhance access to transplants, improve awareness, and augment infrastructure.
• The programoperates through a network comprising 
  • National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), 
  • Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (ROTTOs), and 
  • State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (SOTTOs). 
• Despite this growth, India faces a low deceased organ donation rate of less than 1 per million population (Spain 48 per million population).

Initiatives taken for organ transplantation

• "One Nation One Policy": State domicile, age limits, and registration fees removed for deceased donor organ transplant recipients.
• Aadhaar-linked digital pledge portal: It was launched in September 2023, enabling over 3 lakh citizens to register their pledges for organ donation.
• "Angdaan Jan Jagrukta Abhiyan" was launched in 2024.