**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's response to a parliamentary question regarding the recognition of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) as formal health workers. It clarifies the division of responsibilities between the central government and State/UT governments, outlining the support provided to ASHAs through various initiatives and incentive programs. The response addresses concerns about wages, social security, and working conditions.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Division of Responsibility:**
* Strengthening public healthcare, including ASHA support, is primarily the responsibility of State/UT governments.
* The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to States/UTs based on their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs).
* **ASHA Compensation and Incentives:**
* ASHAs are community health volunteers entitled to task/activity-based incentives and a fixed monthly incentive for routine activities.
* ASHAs receive performance-based incentives under various National Health Programmes. Details are available at: https://nhm.gov.in/New-Update-2025-26/ASHA-incentive/ASHA%20Incentives.pdf
* ASHAs receive honorarium from their respective State Budget to supplement the amount received under NHM.
* Eligible for Team Based Incentives (TBIs) along with ANMs based on performance indicators after the launch of Ayushman Arogya Mandir.
* **ASHA Non-Monetary Incentives:**
* Non-monetary incentives include ASHA Uniform, Identity Card, Cycle, Mobile, CUG Sim, ASHA Diary, Drug Kit, ASHA rest room etc.
* **ASHAs Insurance Coverage:**
* Coverage under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana (PMJJBY) covers Rs. 2.00 Lakh in case of death.
* Coverage under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Beema Yojana (PMSBY) covers Rs.2.00 lakh for accidental death or permanent disability and Rs. 1.00 lakh for partial disability.
* Pension benefit under Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan Dhan (PM-SYM) covers Rs. 3,000/- pm after age of 60 years.
* Health care annual coverage of Rs 5 Lakhs under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
* **Recognition for Long-Term Service:**
* ASHAs who leave the programme after a minimum of 10 years of service receive a recognition amount of ₹20,000/- and a citation.
* **Program Revisions and Support:**
* Financial remuneration to community health workers is revised periodically based on evolving programmatic needs.
* The Government strengthens support for community health workers through integration into major national health programmes like NHM and Ayushman Bharat.
* ASHAs are provided structured training, capacity building, and supportive supervision.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder**: *ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists)*
**Impact**: ASHAs receive clarification on their role as community health volunteers and the incentives, insurance coverage, and recognition available to them.
**Action Required**: ASHAs should review the provided URL for details on incentives and understand their eligibility for various benefits and recognition programs.
**Stakeholder**: *State/UT Governments*
**Impact**: States/UTs are reminded of their primary responsibility in supporting ASHAs and strengthening public healthcare systems.
**Action Required**: States/UTs should continue to develop and implement Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) to support ASHAs and leverage technical and financial assistance from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Key Entities Referenced
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs): Community health volunteers who are the subject of this policy regarding formal recognition and compensation.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The primary ministry responsible for providing technical and financial support to States/UTs regarding the public healthcare system and ASHAs.
National Health Mission (NHM): A major national health program under which ASHAs receive performance-based incentives and honorarium.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): A health insurance scheme under which ASHAs and their family members are provided healthcare coverage.
State/UT Governments: The primary entity responsible for strengthening the public healthcare system including support for ASHAs.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2323
TO BE ANSWERED ON13.02.2026
RECOGNITION OFASHASAS FORMALHEALTH WORKERS
2323.SHRIVE VAITHILINGAM:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether the Government has taken any steps to recognise Accredited Social Health
Activists (ASHAs) across the countryasformal healthworkers entitled tominimumwages,
social security and safe working conditions, if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise
includingPuducherry;
(b) the details of measures recommended by the Government for revision of honoraria,
provision of pensions, insurance coverage, travel allowance and protective equipment
alongwith the steps takentoensure timelypaymentof incentivesandfixedmonthly wages;
(c) whether the Government proposes to expand support for community health workers
through integration into national health programmes, recognition under labour laws and
inclusion insocial security schemes; and
(d) if so, the steps proposed to be taken by the Government to address gender and caste based
inequities in rural health labour and ensure dignity, stability and fair compensation for
women frontline workers ?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) to (d): The primary responsibility of strengthening public healthcare system, including
support for ASHA lies with the respective State/UT Governments. The Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare provides the technical and financial support to the States/UTs to strengthen their
public healthcare system, based on the requirements posted by States/UTs in their Programme
ImplementationPlans (PIPs)andwithin the overallresource envelope.
ASHAs are envisaged to be community health volunteer and are entitled to task/activity
based incentives.ASHAs receivea fixedincentivepermonthfor routine andrecurringactivities.Additionally, ASHAs are provided performance-based incentives for a varied set of
activities under various National Health Programmes. The details of these ASHA incentives
underNHM are availableonthe following Uniform Resources Locator(URL):
https://nhm.gov.in/New-Update-2025-26/ASHA-incentive/ASHA%20Incentives.pdf
ASHAs also receive honorarium over and above provided under NHM from their
respective State Budget tosupplement the amountreceivedunderNHM.
After the launch of Ayushman Arogya Mandir, ASHAs are eligible additionally for Team
Based Incentives (TBIs) along with ANMs based on monitored performance indicators (up to
₹1000 per month). ASHAs are also entitled to non-monetary incentives like – ASHA Uniform,
IdentityCard, Cycle,Mobile, CUGSim, ASHADiary,Drug Kit, ASHArest room etc.
ASHAs are covered under Coverage include Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana
(PMJJBY) with a benefit Rs. 2.00 Lakh in case of death of the insured, coverage of Pradhan
Mantri Suraksha Beema Yojana (PMSBY) with a benefit of Rs.2.00 lakh for accidental death or
permanent disability and Rs. 1.00 lakh for partial disability. Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan
Dhan (PM-SYM) with pension benefit of Rs. 3,000/- pm after age of 60 years. Also, ASHAs
along with their family members are provided with health care annual coverage of Rs 5 Lakhs
underAyushman Bharat PradhanMantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
The Government has also approved a recognition amount of ₹20,000/- and a citation to
ASHAs who leave the programme after working as ASHAs for minimum of 10 years, as an
acknowledgementof their contribution.
Under National Health Programmes, financial remuneration provided to community health
workers is revised from time to time in accordance with evolving programmatic needs. Such
revisions take into account expansion of service delivery responsibilities, introduction of new
health interventions, changes in disease burden, and the increased role of frontline workers in
implementation, outreach, and community-level service delivery. These revisions are undertakento ensure effective programme implementation while recognising the critical contribution of
communityhealthworkers.
The Government has been strengthening support for community health workers, including
ASHAs and ASHA facilitators, through their continued integration into major national health
programmes such as the National Health Mission (NHM), Ayushman Bharat, National
Tuberculosis Elimination Programme, Universal Immunisation Programme, and other public
health initiatives. ASHAs are provided structured training, capacity building, and supportive
supervision.
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