Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Haryana launches India’s largest free spectacles drive under ‘Ujjwal Drishti Abhiyan’
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 11, 2025: In a major step towards ensuring better vision and a healthier future for its citizens, Haryana Health Minister Arti Singh Rao today launched the Ujjwal Drishti Haryana Abhiyan from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar.
Touted as the largest and first-of-its-kind vision care campaign in India, the initiative aims to provide free spectacles to school children and near-vision correction to citizens above 45 years of age.
Speaking at the launch, the Health Minister shared that the ambitious campaign is being conducted under the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment, with special budget provisions by the state government.
“This initiative is not just about distributing spectacles—it’s a mission to empower every citizen of Haryana with better vision and a brighter future,” she stated.
Under the initiative:
- Over 1.4 lakh spectacles will be distributed across the state
- Eye screenings will be conducted for 21 lakh students in 14,267 government schools
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- 40,000 needy students will receive free glasses
- Citizens above 50 years will be screened for cataracts, and free surgeries will be offered in government or NGO-run hospitals
The drive is being simultaneously rolled out through 22 district hospitals, 50 sub-divisional hospitals, and 122 community health centres.
Minister Rao highlighted that vision defects are the second leading cause of blindness after cataracts and emphasized early detection and treatment to avoid permanent vision loss.
Haryana also leads the way in corneal transplant support, offering ₹15,000 for free transplants in private and NGO hospitals.The state performs over 800 corneal transplants annually, a record at the national level, with 22 eye donation centres actively functioning.
In a heartfelt appeal, she urged citizens to come forward for eye donation, saying, “Your one act of kindness can light up someone’s entire world.”
She further added that the government is continuously upgrading the state’s health system through modern equipment, mobile medical units, and telemedicine services, making healthcare accessible and inclusive for all.
With ‘Ujjwal Drishti’, Haryana is not only correcting vision—it is setting a national example in public health innovation and inclusive care.