For Prelims: National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY), Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), SDG Target 3.3, Scheme, Nutritional support, Delhi budget utilisation (2025), National utilisation (2023-24)
For Mains: Fund underutilisation, Aadhaar-DBT linkage, administrative bottlenecks, TB elimination target 2025, CAG audit findings
Source:
Indian Express
5 facts for one-day exams
SSC, railway, police and teaching exams ask direct questions like these.
- Delhi spent only 47.4% of its NTEP budget in 2025.
- The NTEP aims to eliminate TB in India by 2025.
- Under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, TB patients get ₹1,000/month nutritional support.
- The CAG audit of 2024 flagged ₹72.94 crore pending for TB beneficiaries in Delhi.
- India's TB elimination target is 2025, five years ahead of the global SDG target of 2030.
Why in the news?
Delhi spent only 47.4% (₹51.32 crore) of its ₹108.27 crore NTEP budget in 2025, leaving ₹56.95 crore unspent. The underutilisation highlights systemic gaps in Aadhaar linkage, procurement delays and administrative bottlenecks, even as 1.13 lakh TB cases were notified. The CAG had earlier flagged similar deficiencies.
Summary
- Delhi spent only 47.4% of its National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) budget of ₹108.27 crore in 2025, leaving ₹56.95 crore unspent.
- Under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY), TB patients receive ₹1,000 per month (doubled from ₹500 in November 2024) as nutritional support via DBT.
- The CAG audit of 2024 had flagged pending nutritional support of ₹72.94 crore for 2.60 lakh beneficiaries, absence of DR-TB committees, and staff shortages in Delhi.
Highlights
₹56.95 Crore Unspent in Delhi's TB Budget
Delhi utilised only 47.4% of its ₹108.27 crore NTEP allocation in 2025, leaving over half the funds unspent despite high TB caseload.
Systemic Gaps in TB Management
Delayed Aadhaar linkage, procurement bottlenecks, and poor infrastructure at DOT centres and TB hospitals contributed to fund underutilisation.
National Trend of Under-Spending
NTEP spent only 62.5% of its budget nationally in 2023-24 and 54.7% in 2022-23, reflecting a persistent pattern of underutilisation.
Background
India's National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), earlier the Revised National TB Control Programme, aims to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global SDG target of 2030. Key components include early diagnosis, free treatment, nutritional support under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) and active case-finding. Delhi, with over 1.12 lakh notified TB cases in 2025, is a critical region for the programme's success.
Key Analysis and Impact
The underutilisation of funds in Delhi (47.4%) and nationally (62.5% in 2023-24) reveals systemic inefficiencies. The Ministry of Health attributes this to delayed Aadhaar linkage for DBT beneficiaries, procurement delays and gaps in digitisation. The CAG audit of 2024 had already flagged pending nutritional support of ₹72.94 crore for 2.60 lakh beneficiaries, non-formation of DR-TB committees, staff shortages and absence of death audits. Such gaps undermine India's ambitious 2025 elimination target and affect patient outcomes.
Way Forward
Improving fund utilisation requires streamlining Aadhaar seeding of beneficiary accounts, expediting procurement for TB centres, and strengthening monitoring at the state level. The Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana's increased support (₹1,000/month from November 2024) must be matched with efficient DBT delivery. Addressing the CAG's recommendations on forming DR-TB committees, conducting supervisory visits and ensuring post-treatment follow-up for drug-resistant patients is essential to achieve the TB elimination goal.
Background GK
Textbook concepts you need to understand this news
- National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP)
- India's national programme for TB control, earlier known as Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP). It provides free diagnosis and treatment, and includes nutritional support under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana.
- Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY)
- A direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme under NTEP that provides nutritional support of ₹1,000 per month to TB patients during their treatment.
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
- A mechanism where government subsidies and benefits are transferred directly to the beneficiary's bank account, aimed at reducing leakages and delays.
- SDG Target 3.3
- Sustainable Development Goal target to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases by 2030.
Facts to remember
Tap a card to see the answer. Try to recall it first.
How exams will ask this
- Data: Delhi spent only 47.4% of NTEP budget in 2025; ₹51.32 crore of ₹108.27 crore utilised.
- Nodal Body: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (NTEP under it).
- Legal Point: SDG Target 3.3 – eliminate TB by 2030 (India target: 2025).
Don't make this mistake!
Examiners may swap percentages: 47.4% utilisation (not 62.5%, which is the national figure for 2023-24). They may also confuse Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana amount (₹1,000/month) with its earlier rate (₹500/month) or state the doubling year incorrectly.
Write these in mains answers
- Fund underutilisation, Aadhaar-DBT linkage, administrative bottlenecks, TB elimination target 2025, CAG audit findings
Stuck? Get it in one tap
The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) is India's main programme to fight TB. It provides free tests, medicines and nutritional support. In 2025, Delhi was given ₹108.27 crore for this programme but spent only ₹51.32 crore, leaving ₹56.95 crore unused. This happened because many patients had not linked their Aadhaar to bank accounts, causing delays in payments, and because of slow purchases of equipment. The CAG had earlier also pointed out similar problems.
- Delhi spent only 47.4% of its NTEP budget in 2025.
- The NTEP aims to eliminate TB in India by 2025.
- Under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, TB patients get ₹1,000/month nutritional support.
- The CAG audit of 2024 flagged ₹72.94 crore pending for TB beneficiaries in Delhi.
- India's TB elimination target is 2025, five years ahead of the global SDG target of 2030.
- Polity: Health and social welfare schemes
- Economy: Government budgeting and fund utilisation
Related concepts: National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY), Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), SDG Target 3.3
Practice questions
Pick an answer, then read the explanation.
- Q1Easy
Which ministry is primarily responsible for implementing the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in India?
Explanation: NTEP is a national health programme under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment handles welfare of SC/ST/OBC, not health. The Ministry of Rural Development manages rural schemes. The Ministry of Women and Child Development oversees maternal and child nutrition, not TB control.
- Q2Hard
Consider the following statements regarding the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP):
- 1.Delhi utilised 47.4% of its NTEP budget in 2025, leaving ₹56.95 crore unspent.
- 2.Under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, TB patients receive ₹500 per month as nutritional support.
- 3.The CAG audit of 2024 had flagged pending nutritional support of ₹72.94 crore for 2.60 lakh beneficiaries in Delhi.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct: Delhi spent 47.4% of its ₹108.27 crore NTEP budget. Statement 2 is incorrect: the monthly support under NPY was doubled to ₹1,000 in November 2024, not ₹500. Statement 3 is correct: the CAG audit of 2024 reported ₹72.94 crore pending for 2.60 lakh beneficiaries. Hence option C is correct.
- Q3Medium
What was the total approved budget under NTEP for Delhi in 2025, and how much of it remained unspent?
Explanation: Delhi's approved NTEP budget for 2025 was ₹108.27 crore, of which only ₹51.32 crore was spent, leaving ₹56.95 crore unspent. Option B swaps the spent and unspent amounts. Options C and D refer to national figures for 2023-24 and 2022-23 respectively, not Delhi's 2025 data.
- Q4Medium
What is the primary objective of the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) under the NTEP?
Explanation: NPY provides ₹1,000 per month as nutritional support directly to TB patients via DBT. Free diagnostic tests are part of NTEP but not NPY. Training healthcare workers and funding research are separate components of the programme, not the primary objective of NPY.
Frequently asked questions
1. What is the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP)?
NTEP is India's national programme for TB control, earlier known as the Revised National TB Control Programme. It provides free diagnosis, treatment, and nutritional support under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, aiming to eliminate TB by 2025.
2. How much of Delhi's NTEP budget was spent in 2025?
Delhi spent only 47.4% of its ₹108.27 crore NTEP budget in 2025, utilising ₹51.32 crore and leaving ₹56.95 crore unspent.
3. What is the monthly nutritional support under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana?
Under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, TB patients receive ₹1,000 per month as nutritional support via direct benefit transfer. This amount was doubled from ₹500 in November 2024.
4. What did the CAG audit of 2024 highlight about TB management in Delhi?
The CAG audit flagged pending nutritional support of ₹72.94 crore for 2.60 lakh beneficiaries, non-formation of DR-TB committees, staff shortages, and absence of death audits in Delhi's chest clinics.
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- Original8 November 2026 · Read story
