**Summary:**
This document summarizes the response provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3333, answered on August 8, 2025, regarding Provident Fund (PF) registration and eligibility for the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY) card.
The response clarifies that PF registration is not a requirement for Ayushman card eligibility. Initially, beneficiary families were identified based on the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011, using 6 deprivation and 11 occupational criteria for rural and urban areas, respectively. In January 2022, the beneficiary base was revised to 12 crore families, accounting for a decadal growth rate of 11.7%. States and Union Territories (UTs) were granted flexibility to use other socio-economic databases for beneficiary verification, especially for those not identified through SECC. Several states/UTs have expanded the beneficiary base using non-SECC data sources, including the National Food Security Act and state-specific datasets. In March 2024, eligibility was expanded to include 37 lakh Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) and their families. Furthermore, in October 2024, the scheme was expanded to provide free treatment benefits of up to ₹5 lakh per year to approximately 6 crore senior citizens aged 70 years and above, belonging to 4.5 crore families, irrespective of their socioeconomic status, through VayVandana cards.
As of the date of the response, 298,396 Ayushman cards have been created in the Kangra district, and 93,862 cards have been created in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
Key Entities Referenced
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana ABPMJAY: A health insurance scheme providing financial coverage for medical treatment to eligible beneficiaries.
Socio Economic Caste Census SECC: A census conducted in 2011 to identify beneficiaries for various government schemes based on socio-economic indicators.
National Food Security Act: An act to provide subsidized food grains to a large section of the population.
Accredited Social Health Activists ASHAs: Community health workers who act as a link between the community and the healthcare system.
Anganwadi Workers AWWs: Frontline workers in the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program, providing nutrition, health, and education services to young children and mothers.
Anganwadi Helpers AWHs: Assist Anganwadi Workers in their duties.
Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh: A district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India, with a specific number of Ayushman card holders.
Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh: A district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India, with a specific number of Ayushman card holders.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH ANDFAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3333
TOBE ANSWERED ON 08THAUGUST,2025
PROVIDENTFUND REGISTRATIONFORAYUSHMAN CARD
†3333.DR. RAJEEVBHARADWAJ:
Will the Minister of HEALTHAND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleased tostate:
(a)whether ProvidentFund (PF)registration isnot requiredtobe eligible for Ayushmancard;
(b) if so, the detailsthereof; and
(c) the number of Ayushman card holders in Kangra and Chamba districts of Himachal
Pradesh?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATEIN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTHAND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAOJADHAV)
(a) and (b): Under Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the
eligibility criteria for the beneficiary families were initially identified from the Socio-
Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011 on the basis of 6 deprivation and 11 occupational
criteria across rural and urban areas respectively. Further, in January 2022, on the basis of
decadal growth rate of 11.7%, Government of India revised the beneficiary base to 12 crore
families and provided the flexibility to States/UTs to use other databases (of similar socio-
economicprofile)for verification of beneficiariesagainst such SECCbeneficiaries who could
not be identified and verified. Many of the States and Union Territories (UTs) implementing
AB-PMJAY have further expanded the beneficiary base at their own cost under the scheme
using non-SECCdata sources (including National FoodSecurityAct, Statespecific datasets).
In March 2024, the eligibility criteria under the scheme were expanded to include 37 lakh
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Anganwadi
Helpers (AWHs) and their families. Further, in October 2024, the government expanded AB-
PMJAY to provide free treatment benefits of up to ₹5 lakh per year to approximately 6 crore
senior citizens aged 70 years and above, belonging to 4.5 crore families, irrespective of their
socio-economic status, through VayVandanacards.
(c): As on date, a total of 2,98,396 and 93,862 Ayushman cards have been created in Kangra
andChambadistrictsofHimachalPradeshrespectively.
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