SDG 3: Good Health & Well-being | SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Institutions: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare | National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP)
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has notified the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Rules, 2025—effective 6 November 2025—under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994.
The amendment introduces a key reform: it removes the mandatory requirement for Clinical Specular Microscopy equipment at corneal transplant centres. This change aims to simplify registration and reduce compliance costs, especially for smaller hospitals, eye banks, and rural facilities, which previously lacked access to expensive equipment.
By easing infrastructure norms, the Ministry seeks to increase the number of accredited corneal-transplant centres, expand the national eye-donation network, and accelerate tissue availability for patients suffering from corneal blindness. The reform follows expert consultation under the National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) and is expected to strengthen decentralised, equitable access to sight-restoration services across India.
This reform underscores a shift from equipment-based licensing to capability-based accreditation, enabling more centres to participate in India’s eye-donation and transplant ecosystem. It complements national health-equity frameworks under Ayushman Bharat and PM-Ayushman Arogya Mission, while supporting India’s target to reduce avoidable blindness through affordable and decentralised eye-care infrastructure.
What is the National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP)?→ A centrally sponsored initiative coordinating organ-and-tissue donation, transplantation infrastructure, and regulatory oversight to improve equitable access across India.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can India balance simplified regulatory norms with quality assurance and donor-tissue safety, ensuring expanded access to transplants without compromising medical standards?
Follow the full release here: India Simplifies Rules for Corneal Transplants to Expand Access