CURRENT AFFAIRS | MAY 8, 2026
In just 42 days between March 24 and May 4, 2026, Delhi health workers screened 71,603 people using handheld portable X-ray machines and detected over 12,000 tuberculosis cases. Most were asymptomatic — people who did not know they were sick, were not coughing, and would never have sought care. This is the terrifying truth about TB in India: the majority of its 27% share of the global TB burden walks around undetected, silently spreading. Delhi’s intensive drive — 224 camps, 984 Ayushman Bharat Shivirs — is the most concentrated urban TB detection effort India has seen.
Constitutional Framework
Art. 21 (Right to Health): In Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity v State of West Bengal (1996), the Supreme Court held that Art. 21 includes the right to health and emergency medical treatment. The state’s duty to detect and treat TB is grounded in this. A citizen dying from undetected TB because the state failed to screen is a violation of Art. 21.
Art. 47 (DPSP — Primary Duty of State): Art. 47 explicitly directs the state to raise the level of nutrition and standard of living and improve public health. Unlike most DPSPs, health is called a “primary duty” — signalling constitutional priority. NTEP and PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan flow from this mandate.
Art. 38 (State to secure social order): A population burdened with untreated TB cannot participate meaningfully in social and economic life. Art. 38 creates the broader obligation that structures like Ayushman Arogya Mandir exist to fulfil.
How the Drive Worked — The Method
The Delhi TB detection drive used a three-layer approach:
- Target population: High-risk settings — JJ colonies (slums), homeless shelters, de-addiction centres, old-age homes, and prisons. These are the populations least likely to access formal healthcare and most likely to have undetected TB.
- Technology: Handheld portable digital X-ray machines (mobile radiography units). These do not require a hospital or radiology lab — they can be set up in a tent, a community centre, or a bus. AI-assisted reading flags potential TB lesions for confirmatory testing.
- Confirmation: Of 71,603 screened, 1,333 (approximately 11%) were bacteriologically confirmed (sputum-positive). The remaining 10,667+ were clinically diagnosed — meaning symptoms + X-ray pattern consistent with TB, without a positive sputum culture.
CLAT Angle — Schemes and Law
Ayushman Arogya Mandir 2.0 (AAM): Formerly called Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, rebranded as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in 2023. They are the primary care layer of Ayushman Bharat — providing comprehensive primary health services at community level. The TB drive was organised as Ayushman Bharat Shivirs (health camps) under this framework.
NTEP (National TB Elimination Programme): Replaced RNTCP (Revised National TB Control Programme) in 2020. NTEP’s mandate goes beyond treatment to include active case finding — proactively finding TB cases rather than waiting for patients to present. The Delhi drive is a flagship example of NTEP’s active case-finding strategy.
Nikshay Portal: National IT platform for TB patient management. All TB cases are mandatorily notified here under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 — which means failing to report a diagnosed TB case is a legal offence.
PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: Launched 2022 — a campaign to find, treat, and support all TB patients. Nikshay Mitras (community supporters) provide nutritional support baskets and social support to TB patients to ensure treatment completion.
India’s TB Crisis — The Numbers
India accounts for 27% of global TB incidence — the highest of any country. In absolute terms, this means approximately 2.8 million new TB cases annually. India’s TB mortality is approximately 2.2 lakh deaths per year. TB elimination, by the WHO definition, means achieving fewer than 1 case per 10 lakh (1 million) population. India’s original target year of 2025 has already been missed; the revised target is 2030, aligned with the WHO END TB Strategy goal of a 90% reduction in deaths vs 2015 baseline.
Key Facts — Quick Reference
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| TB cases detected (Delhi drive) | 12,000+ in 42 days (Mar 24 – May 4, 2026) |
| People screened | 71,603 |
| Camps organised | 224 (high-risk settings) |
| Bacteriologically confirmed | 1,333 (approx. 11%) |
| India share of global TB burden | 27% |
| TB elimination threshold | Less than 1 case per 10 lakh population |
| India TB elimination target | 2030 (revised from 2025) |
| TB notifiable under | Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 (Nikshay portal) |
| India annual TB deaths | ~2.2 lakh per year |
Mnemonic — SCREEN to Remember
S — Shivirs (Ayushman Bharat camps): 984 organised
C — Cases: 12,000+ detected; most asymptomatic
R — Revised target: 2030 (missed 2025 goal)
E — Epidemic Diseases Act 1897: TB is notifiable
E — Elimination = less than 1 case per 10 lakh
N — NTEP (replaced RNTCP 2020) + Nikshay portal
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
