GS3 🔬 Science & Technology

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

/ˈaɪjʊʃmɑːn ˈbɑːrət ˈdɪdʒɪtəl ˈmɪʃən/

India's national digital health ecosystem launched in September 2021 by the National Health Authority (NHA), creating a unified framework of health IDs (ABHA), electronic health records, health facility and professional registries, and interoperable digital health services to ensure that every citizen's medical history is portable, secure, and accessible across all healthcare providers.

Context & Background

As of January 2026, over 84.79 crore ABHA IDs have been created, with 82.69 crore health records linked; the Scan & Share feature enables instant OPD registration at hospitals; key challenges include interoperability, data privacy, digital literacy, and bridging the urban-rural digital divide.

UPSC Exam Relevance

GS2 (Health, Governance), GS3 (Science & Technology). Prelims: ABHA = 14-digit health ID; launched September 2021; NHA is the implementing agency. Mains: asked to evaluate India's digital health infrastructure — ABDM's vision of a paperless, portable health record system, its implementation challenges, and its role in achieving Universal Health Coverage.