Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Source: Lok Sabha answer, 31 July 2026 (with Annexures) | UPSC / PCS Mains: GS-II (health, governance, Centre-state relations), GS-III (financing of schemes) | Prelims: health schemes
Background and Context
According to the answer, PM-ABHIM is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), with some Central Sector (CS) components as well, and its purpose is to increase the capacity of the public health system so that it can face pandemics and other public health emergencies. Critical Care Blocks (CCBs) are counted among its CSS components. From the exam's point of view, the most useful thing about this answer is the language of counts: "approved", "work under progress" and "functional" are not three names for the same thing, and the two amount columns are not each other's "percentage".
What Is the News?
On 31 July 2026, Unstarred Question 2243 was answered in the Lok Sabha. The question had asked four things: the amount for 2025-26 and operational CCBs, the reasons for the gap between infrastructure and recruitment, vacancies in Chhattisgarh, and a policy like "Readiness Certification". The answer gave the first part's answer in two tables (Annexures); on the remaining parts it gives a general description of NHM and points towards HDI 2023-24. The question's assumptions (that there is a gap, that there are reasons, that there is a policy) are not facts of the answer.
Six Cautions in Reading the Answer
(1) Annexure-I's Central Release is of the Centre's grants and does not include the State share. (2) Expenditure includes spending against the Central Release as well as State releases and the unspent balances at the start of the year, and it is provisional; so Expenditure should not be read as the "utilisation" of the Central Release or its percentage. (3) In Annexure-II, "506 (47)" is exactly as printed: 631 units are approved, and 506 and 47 are the figures printed in the column whose heading is "Work Under Progress (Functional)". The answer does not explain the relationship of the bracket, so we do not take a relationship like "47 out of 506" as established. (4) Do not read a row without brackets as "zero functional"; in DNH & DD only "(1)" is printed and there is no separate WIP number. (5) The answer gives no number in the words "currently operational"; the nearest printed figure to the asked part is Annexure-II's "(47)". (6) This table is "as reported" by the states/UTs; we have not checked the contents of the HDI document.
Key Facts and Figures
| Detail | Answer's detail (verbatim) |
|---|---|
| Details of the answer (verbatim) | Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2243, answered 31.07.2026, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Minister of State: Shri Prataprao Jadhav, as printed). Questioner: Shri Brajmohan Agarwal. Title: "Utilization of Fund under PM-ABHIM". |
| The four parts of the question | (a) The amount allocated and "utilized" under PM-ABHIM in 2025-26 and the number of "currently operational" Critical Care Blocks (CCBs) in the country; (b) reasons for the "persistent gap" between completion of physical infrastructure and recruitment of specialist staff; (c) vacancies of specialist posts (anaesthetist, critical care nurse) in Chhattisgarh, district-wise, and the effect on the tribal population; (d) an account of any mandatory policy of "Readiness Certification" or "Recruitment-Integrated" approval. |
| What the answer gave | The text of the answer has a general introduction of the scheme and a description of NHM's assistance. There are two Annexures: Annexure-I has state/UT-wise "Central Release" and "Expenditure" for 2025-26 (36 rows); Annexure-II has CCBs' "Units Approved" and "Work Under Progress (Functional)" (34 rows, "as reported by the State/UTs"). |
| Two notes of Annexure-I | Note 1: releases are related to "Central Govt. Grants" and State share contribution is not included in them. Note 2: Expenditure includes spending against the Central Release, State releases and the unspent balances at the start of the year; it is as per the FMR of the states/UTs and is provisional. |
| Annexure-II's figure | Printed Total: Units Approved 631 and Work Under Progress "506 (47)". Note: "No provision of CCB in Ladakh and Lakshadweep". |
| Part (b) | The answer does not state "reasons" for any shortage or gap. It describes the Centre-state role (health is a state subject), the process of PIP and RoP, and the measures given to states (hard area allowance, housing, performance-based incentives, multi-skilling, EmOC and LSAS training). |
| Part (c) | District-wise vacancies are not in the answer. The answer points to Health Dynamics of India (HDI) 2023-24, saying the details of vacant specialist posts in tribal areas can be seen there. That document is not part of this answer and we have not checked its contents. |
| Part (d) | The answer contains no policy named "Readiness Certification" or "Recruitment-Integrated". The answer describes the existing framework of monitoring: review of state-wise Key Deliverables in NPCC meetings, the Output-Outcome Monitoring Framework (OOMF) and annual Common Review Missions (CRM). No specific audit timeline is in the answer. |
Both Annexures Together: 36 States/UTs (in Annexure-I's order)
| No. | State / UT (Annexure-I's order) | Annex-I: Central Release (Rs Cr) | Annex-I: Expenditure (Rs Cr) | Annex-II: Units Approved | Annex-II: Work Under Progress (Functional), as printed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 6.77 | 2.76 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 59.32 | 98.86 | 24 | 24 |
| 3 | Arunachal Pradesh | 0.88 | 0.98 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Assam | 164.17 | 209.85 | 27 | 18 |
| 5 | Bihar | 76.85 | 128.08 | 38 | 35 |
| 6 | Chandigarh | 5.13 | 8.75 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | Chattisgarh (as printed) | 32.78 | 55.33 | 23 | 21 |
| 8 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 7.18 | 1.02 | 1 | (1) |
| 9 | Delhi | 40.85 | 7.09 | 9 | 0 |
| 10 | Goa | 0.61 | 1.06 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | Gujarat | 100.52 | 167.54 | 32 | 25 (3) |
| 12 | Haryana | 19.19 | 32.73 | 22 | 8 |
| 13 | Himachal Pradesh | 93.27 | 103.63 | 9 | 8 |
| 14 | Jammu & Kashmir | 49.69 | 89.56 | 10 | 9 |
| 15 | Jharkhand | 89.02 | 148.37 | 23 | 22 |
| 16 | Karnataka | 199.75 | 332.91 | 34 | 27 (4) |
| 17 | Kerala | 26.45 | 44.08 | 14 | 11 |
| 18 | Ladakh | 1.03 | 0.93 | not printed | No provision of CCB (note) |
| 19 | Lakshadweep | 0.32 | 0.29 | not printed | No provision of CCB (note) |
| 20 | Madhya Pradesh | 130.42 | 227.36 | 50 | 42 (8) |
| 21 | Maharashtra | 221.13 | 368.56 | 36 | 36 |
| 22 | Manipur | 8.77 | 13.37 | 2 | 2 |
| 23 | Meghalaya | 23.03 | 25.12 | 3 | 3 |
| 24 | Mizoram | 2.05 | 4.23 | 1 | 1 |
| 25 | Nagaland | 3.30 | 6.57 | 1 | 1 |
| 26 | Odisha | 137.19 | 228.65 | 28 | 20 (6) |
| 27 | Puducherry | 9.00 | 13.76 | 4 | 4 |
| 28 | Punjab | 71.66 | 119.44 | 22 | 22 |
| 29 | Rajasthan | 189.31 | 315.51 | 38 | 32 (1) |
| 30 | Sikkim | 4.90 | 5.54 | 1 | 1 |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | 172.51 | 283.44 | 39 | 22 (15) |
| 32 | Telangana | 151.12 | 251.87 | 31 | 21 (9) |
| 33 | Tripura | 3.57 | 3.83 | 2 | 1 |
| 34 | Uttar Pradesh | 211.88 | 511.46 | 74 | 63 |
| 35 | Uttarakhand | 33.88 | 37.65 | 5 | 4 |
| 36 | West Bengal | 91.42 | 152.37 | 23 | 22 |
| Total (our calculation) | 2438.92 | 4002.55 | 631 (printed) | 506 (47) (printed) |
All figures are exactly as in Annexure-I and II; Annexure-II's names have been matched with Annexure-I's names (A & N Islands = Andaman and Nicobar Islands, DNH & DD = Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu). The rows for Ladakh and Lakshadweep are not in Annexure-II; per the note, there is no provision of CCB there, and this has not been read as zero. The total of the amounts is not printed in Annexure-I; the sum of the rows is our calculation.
Our Calculation
Check of the sum (our calculation): in Annexure-II, the 34 rows of Units Approved add up to 631, the WIP numbers without brackets add up to 506 and the numbers in brackets add up to 47; all three match the printed Total. The rows with brackets are 8 (including DNH & DD). The 36 rows of Annexure-I add up to Rs 2438.92 Cr for Central Release and Rs 4002.55 Cr for Expenditure. These totals are not printed in the answer.
The three largest Central Releases (our calculation): Maharashtra 221.13, Uttar Pradesh 211.88 and Karnataka 199.75; the three add up to Rs 632.76 Cr, which is about 25.9% of our sum of the amounts.
Where the printed Expenditure is less than the printed Central Release (our calculation): five rows - Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Delhi, Ladakh, Lakshadweep. In the remaining 31 rows the printed Expenditure is higher. As per Note 2, Expenditure includes State releases and opening balances, so we draw no conclusion from this difference.
What we have not derived: no "utilisation rate" by dividing Expenditure by Central Release; no "completion rate" by dividing 47 by 631 or 506; and no linking of the figures to the states' population or vacancies either, because the answer has no such basis.
Analysis: Money, Blocks and Staff Are Three Different Questions
First: the different nature of the two amount columns. The two columns of Annexure-I are not built on the same basis. One is only the Centre's grant; the other is mixed spending from three sources. So the table can be read even without deriving a ratio: it tells how much was released from the Centre to each state/UT in 2025-26 and how much expenditure is recorded as per the FMR. It does not tell what share of the Centre's amount was spent.
Second: approved, work under progress and functional. If the exam asks about "the status of CCBs", write all three terms separately. 631 is the number of approved units. 506 and "(47)" are printed in the column whose heading is "Work Under Progress (Functional)", and the answer contains no explanation of the bracketed number. So calling 631 "already built", 506 "incomplete" or 47 "all operational" would be going beyond the answer.
Third: the rows without brackets. In 26 rows only one number is printed. In four rows (Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa) "0" is printed in the WIP column. The meaning of these printed zeroes and the rows without brackets is not given in the answer; reading it on our own as "no block is operational" is not safe.
Fourth: infrastructure versus staff. Question (b) assumes that the gap between infrastructure and recruitment is "persistent". The answer neither accepts nor denies this gap and gives no reason. It only says that health is a state subject, NHM's assistance is given to states as RoP on their PIPs, and the Centre "facilitates" recruitment and deployment. So on the basis of the answer, saying that there is a shortage of recruitment, or that there is not, are both unproven.
Fifth: the description of monitoring. Review of Key Deliverables in NPCC, OOMF and the annual CRM are written in the answer as the means of monitoring. The answer does not give their findings or a timeline. Keep "description" and "result" separate.
Way Forward: Unanswered Questions
On the basis of this answer, the questions worth looking into next are: (i) the exact meaning of the brackets in Annexure-II and its relation to the WIP number; (ii) the meaning of the rows with a printed "0"; (iii) the break-up of Expenditure into Centre, state and opening balance; (iv) what the details of vacant specialist posts in tribal areas in HDI 2023-24 say (we have not checked this); (v) whether there is any audit timeline or readiness-related process that did not appear in this answer.
Points Useful for the Exam
Prelims: PM-ABHIM is called a CSS (with some CS components) as per the answer; CCBs come under its CSS components; there is no provision of CCB in Ladakh and Lakshadweep; Annexure-II's printed Total is 631 and "506 (47)".
Mains, GS-II and GS-III: health as a state subject and the form of the Centre's assistance (PIP, RoP); the limits of comparing figures of central grants and state expenditure; the monitoring of a scheme (NPCC, OOMF, CRM); the question of measuring "infrastructure" and "service" separately.
UPSC CSE Mains Practice Question
Why should counts such as "approved", "work under progress" and "functional" be read separately in assessing the progress of PM-ABHIM's Critical Care Blocks? What cautions are needed in comparing figures of central grants and expenditure? (10 marks, 150 words)
Answer Outline
Introduction: (The answer of 31.07.2026: two Annexures, 631 approved units, "506 (47)" printed).
Main Body: (1) The three terms are three different counts and the answer does not explain the relationship of the bracket; (2) Central Release excludes the State share, Expenditure includes State releases and opening balances and is provisional, so a "utilisation rate" cannot be derived; (3) the meaning of rows without brackets or with a printed "0" cannot be settled from the answer; (4) the availability of staff alongside infrastructure is a separate question, on which the answer gives no reasons.
Conclusion: To assess progress, definitions of the numbers and separate staff figures are needed. (While writing the answer, do not turn things not given in the answer into facts.)
Sources
- Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2243, answer 31.07.2026 (with Annexures)
- The reference link to HDI 2023-24 given in the answer (we have not checked the contents)
All facts are from this answer of 31 July 2026. Wherever "our calculation" is written, it is our own arithmetic, not the answer's.
Remember: approved, work under progress and functional are different; "506 (47)" is exactly as printed; Central Release excludes the State share; Expenditure is provisional and mixed; no brackets does not mean zero; what is not in the answer is not "not there".
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