PM Rahat Cashless Scheme Introduced; Victims Get ₹1.5 Lakh Aid Now

The Government of India launched PM Rahat scheme on 14 February 2026. The scheme provides cashless treatment to road accident victims. This scheme covers treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim for seven days from the accident date.

The full name of the scheme is Prime Minister Road Accident Victims Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment. It applies to accidents on all road categories. Victims receive stabilisation treatment for up to 24 hours in non-life-threatening cases and up to 48 hours in life-threatening cases.

Police authentication occurs on an integrated digital system. The system links the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) platform and National Health Authority’s Transaction Management System. Hospital payments come from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund.

PM Rahat is a new scheme. The Prime Minister approved it in the first decision after the Seva Teerth inauguration. No earlier scheme offered cashless treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh for all road accident victims with this digital police verification process.

Road accidents in India reported high numbers in the past five years. In 2021, data showed over 1.5 lakh deaths. The number rose to 1.68 lakh in 2022. In 2023, 4.80 lakh accidents caused 1.73 lakh deaths. The year 2024 recorded 1.77 lakh fatalities, the highest on record.For 2025, over 1.6 lakh lives lost in 4.5 lakh accidents. National highways saw 29,018 deaths in the first six months alone.

While the PM Rahat scheme is a good one, the accident rate too needs to come down, which can only happen if there are stricter protocols and management of those protocols in place.