Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Sunday called for dispelling misconceptions surrounding organ donation and spreading awareness about it so that fewer lives are lost while waiting for organs. Sharing a personal experience, he also thanked an anonymous person who had donated a part of his liver to his daughter a decade ago. Inaugurating the National Organ Transplant Games 2026 here, he urged people to make “informed decisions” about organ donation and share their wishes with family members, saying greater awareness could help ensure that more patients receive transplants and fewer lives are lost while waiting for organs. Describing organ donation as ‘mahadaan’, he said it was a supreme act of generosity that reflected India’s civilisational ethos of selfless service and living for the welfare of society.

 

Referring to Maharishi Dadhichi’s ultimate sacrifice, he said the highest purpose of life lay not in what one received but in what one gave. Pointing to India’s progress in organ transplantation, Radhakrishnan said the country recorded over 20,000 organ transplants in 2025, more than four times the 4,900 transplants in 2013. India now ranks third globally in the total number of organ transplants. The country also recorded over 1,200 deceased organ donors in 2025, the highest annual figure so far. The Vice President credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated appeals through his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme for giving impetus to the organ donation movement. He paid tribute to deceased organ donors and their families, as well as living donors, noting that one deceased donor could save up to eight lives.