- Why in news
- On 6 October 2026 the Health Ministry announced that eSanjeevani crossed 50 crore teleconsultations on 15 September 2026, and added AI decision support, ERSS-112 linkage and AIIMS specialist OPDs.
- What it is
- eSanjeevani is India's National Telemedicine Service, run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It was developed by C-DAC, Mohali. It works on a hub-and-spoke model, linking Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (spokes) to doctors at hubs, and also offers online OPDs.
- Developer
- Developed by C-DAC, with C-DAC Mohali giving end-to-end technology and engineering support.
- User profile
- Women are 57.14% of use; 40.15% of consultations are by those aged 46+, of which 16.25% by those 60+.
- AI-CDSS
- An AI-powered Clinical Decision Support System supports providers in consultations and won the Gold Award at the National Awards for e-Governance 2026.
- Specialist OPDs
- Patient-to-doctor specialist teleconsultation has been rolled out at AIIMS Jodhpur, Jammu and Patna.
Don’t confuse with eSanjeevani vs eSanjeevaniOPD: eSanjeevani (doctor-to-doctor) works through hubs and spokes at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs; eSanjeevaniOPD is the patient-to-doctor service from home.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Cuts distance and travel costs, especially for rural and remote users.
- Women and older citizens are the main users, so it widens equity of access.
Problems
- Uneven internet and device access in remote areas limits reach.
- Teleconsultation cannot replace physical examination, tests and follow-up care.
Way forward
- Improve connectivity and local diagnostic support at spokes.
- Expand specialist OPDs and link with health records under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
Put in your answer
Reach among women and elderly: Women are 57.14% of utilisation and 16.25% of consultations are by those aged 60 and above.
- 2022Mains GS4 · Q4Ethical issues of online methods, including telemedicine, for vulnerable sections.
- 2024Mains GS2 · Q17State measures to extend grassroots public healthcare reach against marketisation.
- 2019Mains GS2 · Q8Factors hindering ICT projects' implementation and measures to improve them.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.eSanjeevani, India's National Telemedicine Service, was developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
- 2.In eSanjeevani's hub-and-spoke model, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs act as the spokes.
- 3.Men account for the majority of eSanjeevani utilisation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.eSanjeevani was developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
True. C-DAC developed it, with C-DAC Mohali giving engineering support.
2.eSanjeevani was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
False. It was developed by C-DAC, not ISRO.
3.In eSanjeevani's hub-and-spoke model, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs act as the spokes.
True. Over 1.42 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandir spokes are linked to medical hubs.
4.eSanjeevani has been integrated with the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS)-112 to link emergency services with remote medical expertise.
True. The ERSS-112 integration links emergency response with remote medical advice.
5.Men account for the majority of eSanjeevani utilisation.
False. Women account for 57.14% of utilisation.
6.The platform is available in 15 languages, including English and 14 Indian languages.
True. 15 languages in all: English plus 14 Indian languages.
7.eSanjeevani's specialist OPD teleconsultations have so far been rolled out only at AIIMS Delhi and PGIMER Chandigarh.
False. They have been rolled out at AIIMS Jodhpur, Jammu and Patna; PGIMER and JIPMER are planned.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.