New Delhi, 05 April 2022: National Programme for Control of Blindness was launched in 1976. From 2017 onwards, the programme was strengthened and expanded to cover all kinds of visual impairment as well. It was renamed as National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCB&VI) and is implemented all over the country uniformly, with a goal of reducing the prevalence of avoidable blindness to 0.25% by the year 2025. Apart from cataract, refractive errors, corneal blindness and childhood blindness, the programme is equally focusing on other eye diseases like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), age related macular degeneration etc. associated with life style diseases like diabetes and aging process. Preventive and curative eye care services are also provided through Ayushman Bharat-Health & Wellness Centres in the country.
In order to assess the programme, the “National Blindness & Visual Impairment Survey” was carried out during 2015-19 which showed reduction in the prevalence of blindness from 1% (2007) to 0.36% (2019).
Under NPCB&VI funds allocated during last three years and the current year, State/UT wise is placed at Annexure-I.
The progress report of various activities by the States/UTs under this programme is obtained and monitored by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on monthly basis. Progress report for last 3 years is placed at Annexure-II.
The programme is monitored at national level in consultation with the State Government. At States/UTs level to check the rising number of cases of blindness, functionaries from Panchayats, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) staff, ASHA workers, NGO and other voluntary groups like Mahila Mandals, are involved by the District Health Societies.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharti Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Annexure-I
State/UT WISE Approvals and Expenditure under National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) under Flexible Pool for Non-Communicable Diseases under NHM from F.Y. 2018-19 to 2021-22 up to 31.12.2021
| S. No. | Name of the State/UTs | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | ||
| Expenditure | Expenditure | Expenditure | Approval | Expenditure | |||
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 6.16 | 10.35 | 0.59 | 24.78 | 1.97 | |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 4287.23 | 4696.90 | 1666.35 | 9096.50 | 621.61 | |
| 3 | Arunachal Pradesh | 321.52 | 0.00 | 22.63 | 133.70 | 126.53 | |
| 4 | Assam | 655.58 | 517.18 | 328.14 | 930.15 | 199.25 | |
| 5 | Bihar | 2433.55 | 1460.77 | 941.96 | 3881.26 | 415.03 | |
| 6 | Chandigarh | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 42.45 | 1.98 | |
| 7 | Chhattisgarh | 561.31 | 472.07 | 237.82 | 1502.11 | 253.24 | |
| 8 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 5.94 | 12.03 | 0.01 | 15.72 | 6.64 | |
| 9 | Daman & Diu | 15.54 | 1.28 | ||||
| 10 | Delhi | 163.14 | 113.37 | 77.03 | 402.80 | 28.14 | |
| 11 | Goa | 53.79 | 73.71 | 26.68 | 113.90 | 16.96 | |
| 12 | Gujarat | 3684.33 | 2246.30 | 4217.06 | 4295.88 | 1288.80 | |
| 13 | Haryana | 84.08 | 178.80 | 255.48 | 871.49 | 137.62 | |
| 14 | Himachal Pradesh | 50.65 | 107.19 | 34.54 | 170.41 | 43.39 | |
| 15 | Jammu & Kashmir | 271.63 | 247.28 | 78.10 | 940.00 | 148.11 | |
| 16 | Jharkhand | 617.36 | 700.99 | 765.08 | 1786.00 | 557.85 | |
| 17 | Karnataka | 2577.50 | 2767.61 | 820.31 | 3249.92 | 818.51 | |
| 18 | Kerala | 720.48 | 722.63 | 845.12 | 1303.38 | 128.95 | |
| 19 | Ladakh | – | – | 1.85 | 143.53 | 3.17 | |
| 20 | Lakshadweep | 0.00 | 16.00 | 0.39 | 51.26 | 1.83 | |
| 21 | Madhya Pradesh | 4402.09 | 4884.90 | 2631.70 | 6400.47 | 2877.60 | |
| 22 | Maharashtra | 640.33 | 706.00 | 322.10 | 3439.22 | 631.37 | |
| 23 | Manipur | 347.33 | 283.88 | 0.00 | 452.98 | 0.00 | |
| 24 | Meghalaya | 89.85 | 49.27 | 126.80 | 200.21 | 100.77 | |
| 25 | Mizoram | 160.23 | 62.08 | 51.67 | 144.65 | 40.95 | |
| 26 | Nagaland | 35.54 | 65.46 | 0.05 | 127.10 | 30.19 | |
| 27 | Odisha | 1193.00 | 1462.74 | 652.87 | 2112.13 | 705.52 | |
| 28 | Puducherry | 58.02 | 41.93 | 31.40 | 197.56 | 23.52 | |
| 29 | Punjab | 473.08 | 559.45 | 235.67 | 825.40 | 239.52 | |
| 30 | Rajasthan | 1637.12 | 1249.72 | 1308.70 | 3974.47 | 964.39 | |
| 31 | Sikkim | 15.71 | 13.64 | 0.00 | 110.75 | 7.56 | |
| 32 | Tamil Nadu | 6086.29 | 3402.14 | 1228.75 | 6312.03 | 1065.23 | |
| 33 | Telangana | 3657.97 | 1042.23 | 1019.10 | 1125.70 | 283.87 | |
| 34 | Tripura | 199.24 | 35.94 | 35.75 | 308.14 | 199.80 | |
| 35 | Uttar Pradesh | 2894.62 | 3157.81 | 2719.70 | 12948.87 | 976.47 | |
| 36 | Uttarakhand | 310.97 | 204.16 | 180.31 | 161.72 | 127.50 | |
| 37 | West Bengal | 973.78 | 1598.27 | 1878.64 | 4607.57 | 975.06 | |
1.The above information is as per the available Financial Management Report (fmr) submitted by States /UTs.
2.Expenditure includes expenditure against Central Release, State share & unspent balances at the beginning of the year
Annexure II
National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCB&VI)
Progress Report of Activities under NPCB&VI
Targets and Achievements during last 3 years
| Year / Activity | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22* |
| Achievement | Achievement | Achievement | Achievement | |
| Cataract | 66,90,830 | 64,33,140 | 35,50,765 | 39,56,934 |
| School Eye Screening Programme | 8,81,929 | 8,56,768 | 1,80,723 | 2,52,600 |
| Collection of donated Eyes for Corneal Transplantation | 68,409 | 65,417 | 17,402 | 33,733 |
| Treatment/ Management of other eye diseases (Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma, Childhood Blindness, Keratoplasty etc.) | 6,14,433 | 8,37,151 | 2,99,852 | 3,05,298 |
| Training of Eye Surgeons | 125 | 108 | 32 | 48 |
*Final report for the year 2021-22 is provisional.