National TB Elimination Programme
Current Affairs & Government Schemes › Health and Nutrition Schemes · Topic 4.11
The National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) is the Government of India's programme, run by the Central TB Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the National Health Mission, to diagnose and treat every person with tuberculosis and to end the disease. It was renamed in 2020 from the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, which began in 1997. India set a goal of eliminating TB by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal date of 2030, under the National Strategic Plan 2017 to 2025. The Global TB Report 2025 put India's TB incidence at about 187 per lakh people in 2024, down about 21 per cent from 2015.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Current Affairs & Government Schemes · Health and Nutrition Schemes
At a Glance
- Ministry Health and Family Welfare
- Programme name NTEP since 2020
- Earlier name RNTCP, 1997
- Goal Eliminate TB, 2025 target
- Digital tool Ni-kshay portal
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Current Affairs and Government Schemes: Health and Nutrition Schemes
Where Does It Fit?
This is the eleventh topic of the macro on health and nutrition. It is a disease control programme delivered through the National Health Mission and the primary care network. Previous topic: Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (Generic Medicines). Next topic: Eat Right India Movement.
What Are the Main Parts of the Programme?
| Component | Feature |
|---|---|
| History | The National Tuberculosis Programme began in 1962, the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme with DOTS began in 1997 and became national in 2006, and it was renamed the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) in 2020 |
| National Strategic Plan | The 2017 to 2025 plan aimed to eliminate TB by 2025 and was built on four pillars known as Detect, Treat, Prevent and Build |
| Ni-kshay | The Ni-kshay web portal tracks every notified patient and links to a unique patient ID |
| Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana | A direct benefit transfer to TB patients for nutrition, launched in April 2018 at Rs 500 a month and raised to Rs 1,000 a month in November 2024 |
| Ni-kshay Mitra | An initiative launched in 2022 under which individuals and organisations adopt patients and give food baskets and support |
| TB Mukt Panchayat | A recognition for panchayats that reduce TB cases and ensure treatment |
| Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan | A campaign that includes community support and the Ni-kshay Mitra network |
How Is TB Diagnosed and Treated?
- DOTS: Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course, in which a health worker or volunteer watches the patient take medicine, was the core strategy
- Diagnostics: molecular tests such as CBNAAT and TrueNat, and chest X-ray with artificial intelligence, are used for faster diagnosis, and drug sensitivity testing is now offered for all
- Drug resistance: drug-resistant TB is a major threat, and shorter all-oral regimens, including the BPaLM regimen with bedaquiline, have been introduced
- Preventive therapy: TB preventive treatment is offered to household contacts and people at higher risk
- Private sector: notification of TB cases is mandatory for private providers and labs, and the share of notified cases from the private sector has risen
- Vaccines: the BCG vaccine is part of routine immunisation, and adult vaccine trials are under way, as reported
- Active case finding: house-to-house screening, mobile X-ray units and campaigns reach people who might otherwise be missed
- Link to NHM: the programme runs through the health system funded under National Health Mission (NHM)
What Else Should You Remember?
- Burden: India has the highest number of TB cases in the world, about a quarter of the global burden, as per the World Health Organization
- Latest incidence: the Global TB Report 2025 estimated India’s incidence at about 187 per lakh population in 2024, down from about 237 in 2015, a decline of about 21 per cent against about 12 per cent globally
- Treatment coverage: the Government reports treatment coverage above 90 per cent, though figures differ in sources and years
- 100-day campaign: a campaign began on 7 December 2024 in 347 high-burden districts and ended on World TB Day, 24 March 2025, and a second 100-day phase began in 2026 as reported
- 2025 target: the goal of elimination, defined as an incidence of under 1 per lakh, was not met by 2025, and the programme continues with the global 2030 goal
- SDG and End TB: the End TB Strategy aims at 80 per cent fall in incidence and 90 per cent fall in deaths by 2030 compared with 2015
- Social drivers: undernutrition, diabetes, tobacco, alcohol, indoor air pollution and crowded housing raise risk
- Nutrition link: patients get food support to improve outcomes, and the national nutrition programmes relate to the same concerns, as in POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission)
- Stigma: fear of stigma delays care, especially for women, and drives patients to private providers
- Law: TB is a notifiable disease in India since 2012, and rights of patients are covered in the Patients’ Charter for Tuberculosis Care
- Wellness centres: the primary care network helps in screening, as in Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)
- Digital health: Ni-kshay data will link to health IDs, as in Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Name: NTEP, earlier RNTCP
- Goal: TB elimination target of 2025
- Schemes: Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, Ni-kshay Mitra, TB Mukt Panchayat
- Tools: Ni-kshay portal, CBNAAT, TrueNat, BPaLM
- Traps: the SDG goal is 2030, and India’s goal was 2025
As an analytical point, India has cut TB faster than the world average, but the 2025 goal was missed. Success now depends on finding missing cases, strong nutrition support, tackling drug resistance and addressing diabetes, tobacco and poverty.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Facts Name, dates, schemes
- Data WHO estimates
- Mains Why elimination is hard
What Came Next?
The next topic covers a national movement for safe and healthy food. Next topic: Eat Right India Movement.
Key People and Terms
- NTEP National TB programme
- DOTS Observed treatment
- MDR-TB Multidrug-resistant TB
- CBNAAT Molecular test
- Ni-kshay Patient portal
- TPT TB preventive therapy
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Name: NTEP since 2020.
- Goal: 2025 for India, 2030 for SDG.
- Support: Rs 1,000 a month, Ni-kshay Poshan.
- Portal: Ni-kshay.
- Campaign: 100-day from 7 December 2024.
Do Not Confuse With
- NTEP and RNTCP New name versus the earlier name of the same programme
- Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana and Ni-kshay Mitra Government cash support versus community adoption of patients
- TB elimination target and SDG target India 2025 versus global 2030
Memory Hook
Detect, treat, prevent, build: find every case and feed every patient.
Mains Angle
Questions ask why TB persists and how to end it. These points give a frame.
- Progress Faster fall than global
- Drivers Poverty, nutrition, diabetes
- Way Case finding, nutrition, vaccine
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“India aimed to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025. Why has elimination proved difficult, and what measures are needed?”
How to Answer
- Intro State the 2025 goal and NTEP.
- Progress Incidence fall of about 21 per cent.
- Reasons Missing cases, drug resistance, poverty, stigma.
- Way Nutrition, private sector, diagnostics, vaccines.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National TB Elimination Programme?
The National TB Elimination Programme is India's programme to diagnose, treat and prevent tuberculosis, run by the Central TB Division of the Health Ministry under the National Health Mission. It was renamed in 2020 from the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, and aimed at eliminating TB by 2025.
Which ministry runs NTEP?
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare runs NTEP through its Central TB Division, working with states and the National Health Mission machinery. District TB officers, health workers and ASHAs deliver services, and the Ni-kshay portal records every patient notified from public and private facilities.
What is the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana?
The Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana is a direct benefit transfer for nutritional support to TB patients, launched in April 2018 at Rs 500 a month. The amount was raised to Rs 1,000 a month in November 2024, and it is paid for the whole treatment period.
What is the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan?
The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is a campaign launched in 2022 to accelerate elimination through community support, including the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative where donors adopt patients. A 100-day intensified campaign began on 7 December 2024 in 347 districts, and a second began in 2026.
What is the latest status of TB in India?
The Global TB Report 2025 estimated India's incidence at about 187 per lakh in 2024, a fall of about 21 per cent since 2015, against a global fall of about 12 per cent. India still carries about a quarter of global cases, and the 2025 elimination goal was not met.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 NTEP was earlier known as the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme.
The renaming happened in 2020.
2 India set a goal of ending TB by 2030, the same as the global target.
India aimed at 2025, five years earlier.
3 The Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana gives direct nutritional support to TB patients.
The amount is Rs 1,000 a month since 2024.
4 TB is a notifiable disease in India.
Notification became mandatory in 2012.
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