**Executive Summary**
This report details the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's initiatives to enhance healthcare accessibility in tribal, hilly, and remote areas through relaxed National Health Mission (NHM) norms. Key achievements include the operationalization of 31,023 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in tribal districts and the deployment of 1,453 Mobile Medical Units as of early 2026. Progress is tracked through annual Common Review Missions and data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS).
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Relaxed NHM Infrastructure and Staffing Norms**
* Population criteria for establishing health centers in tribal/hilly areas have been reduced to 3,000 for Sub Health Centres (SHCs), 20,000 for Primary Health Centres (PHCs), and 80,000 for Community Health Centres (CHCs).
* One Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) is permitted per habitation rather than the standard 1,000-population criteria.
* Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) are increased to 4 per district in tribal areas, compared to 2 in plain districts.
* **Targeted Tribal Welfare Schemes**
* **PM-JANMAN:** Launched November 15, 2023, this scheme allows up to 10 MMUs per district in areas with Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and provides an additional Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) for each Multi Purpose Centre.
* **DA-JGUA:** The Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan operates 320 MMUs to provide basic health services in tribal-dominated districts.
* **Operational MMUs:** A total of 1,453 MMUs are deployed nationwide to provide outreach services in underserved terrains.
* **Primary Healthcare and Digital Integration**
* 31,023 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) are operational across 178 tribal districts, providing a range of preventive, promotive, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative services.
* Teleconsultation services at AAMs address specialist shortages and physical accessibility barriers, with 44.08 crore consultations conducted as of February 28, 2026.
* **Monitoring and Data Management**
* Performance is assessed via annual Common Review Missions (CRM), mid-term reviews of key deliverables, and field visits by senior officials.
* Periodic data on tribal malnutrition, anaemia, and maternal health is generated through the NFHS, Census of India, and National Sample Surveys.
**Impact Analysis**
**Tribal and Remote Populations**
**Impact**
Residents in difficult terrains gain improved access to last-mile healthcare, specialist teleconsultations, and essential primary health services closer to their homes.
**Action Required**
Utilize the expanded network of AAMs and MMUs for routine health check-ups and specialist care.
**State and Union Territory (UT) Governments**
**Impact**
States receive increased technical and financial support to strengthen public healthcare systems through relaxed population and staffing norms.
**Action Required**
Prepare and submit Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) to the Ministry and implement healthcare programs according to the issued Record of Proceedings (RoPs).
**Ministry of Health and Family Welfare / Central Agencies**
**Impact**
The Ministry oversees the integration of various tribal health schemes (NHM, PM-JANMAN, DA-JGUA) and monitors progress through standardized benchmarks.
**Action Required**
Conduct annual Common Review Missions (CRM) and periodic surveys (NFHS) to assess the progress and implementation status of health schemes.
Key Entities Referenced
National Health Mission (NHM): The primary healthcare framework that provides relaxed population norms for setting up health centers and deploying health workers (ASHAs) and Mobile Medical Units in tribal, hilly, and remote areas.
Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN): A focused initiative launched in 2023 that provides additional relaxations in NHM norms and increased resources, such as more Mobile Medical Units, for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs): Primary healthcare facilities established to deliver an expanded range of comprehensive services, including teleconsultation, with a specific focus on 178 tribal districts.
Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA): A national initiative operationalized to provide basic health services in tribal areas, including the deployment of Mobile Medical Units.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The nodal ministry responsible for providing technical and financial support to States/UTs to strengthen public healthcare systems in tribal-dominated districts.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Steps taken under Tribal Health Programme for
Tribal Population
Relaxed NHM Norms to Boost Last-Mile Healthcare Access
in Tribal, Hilly and Remote Areas
1,453 MMUs Operational Under NHM, Enhancing Healthcare
Access in Remote and Difficult Terrains
31,023 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs Operational in 178 Tribal
Districts, Strengthening Primary Healthcare Access
Posted On: 23 MAR 2026 12:48PM by PIB Delhi
The National Health Mission (NHM) provides support for improvement in health infrastructure,
availability of adequate human resources in health facilities, to improve availability and accessibility to
quality healthcare across the country including all tribal dominated districts.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to the States/UTs to
strengthen the public healthcare system, based on the proposals received in the form of Programme
Implementation Plans (PIPs) under NHM. Approval is provided to the proposals in the form of Record of
Proceedings (RoPs) as per norms & available resources. The details of RoPs issued to States/UTs, are
available at following web link: https://nhm.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=1&sublinkid=1377&lid=74
4
There are various mechanisms and survey agencies which generate data on tribal healthcare on a periodic
basis. National Family Health Survey (NFHS) provides details on major changes in malnutrition, anaemia
and maternal health indicators among all the high-burden tribal districts across the country. Census of
India provides population and household details including tribal areas. National Sample Survey provides
household surveys on various socio-economic subjects. The State-wise list of key indicators NFHS-5 may
be extracted from below mentioned link: https://www.nfhsiips.in/nfhsuser/publication.php
Under NHM, norms have been relaxed for tribal/hilly/hard-to-reach areas to strengthen healthcare access.
Population criteria for setting up of Sub Health Centres (SHCs), Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and
Community Health Centres (CHCs) have been reduced to 3,000, 20,000 and 80,000 respectively. One
Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) is allowed per habitation instead of per 1,000 population, and
up to 4 Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) per district are permitted in tribal and hard-to-reach areas,
compared to 2 in plain districts.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), launched on 15th
November, 2023 by MoTA, further relaxation in NHM norms has been provided up to 10 MMUs per
district with Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) areas. Norms have been relaxed for oneadditional Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) for each Multi Purpose Centre (MPC) constructed by MoTA.
As per MMU portal, 815 MMUs under PM-JANMAN and 320 MMUs under Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram
Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA) are operational across the country for providing basic health services in
tribal areas till 18.02.2026.
MMUs are supported under NHM to provide outreach services in remote villages with difficult terrain
which are underserved and inaccessible. As per NHM-MIS report, a total of 1453 MMUs have been
deployed across the country including tribal dominated districts.
A total of 1.84 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) have been established and operationalized in the
country by strengthening SHCs and PHCs, including 31,023 AAMs in 178 tribal districts, which deliver
expanded range of comprehensive primary healthcare services encompassing preventive, promotive,
palliative, rehabilitative, and curative care.
The teleconsultation services, available at all operational AAMs across the country including tribal
regions, enables people to access the specialist services closer to their homes addressing concerns of
physical accessibility, shortage of service providers and to facilitate continuum of care. Total
teleconsultations conducted at AAMs are 44.08 crore, as on 28.02.2026.
Under NHM, the performance of various health programmes is regularly assessed in the country including
remote, hilly and tribal areas, through review meetings, mid-term reviews of key deliverables, field visits
of senior officials, promoting performance by setting up benchmarks for service delivery & rewarding
achievements etc. Common Review Missions (CRM) are conducted annually to assess and monitor the
progress and implementation status of various schemes.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri. Prataprao Jadhav stated this in a written
reply in the Lok Sabha today.
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SR
HFW/Steps taken under Tribal Health Programme for Tribal Population/20 March 2026/4
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