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PMBJP: 20,149 Jan Aushadhi Kendras operational; medicines up to 50–80% cheaper and quality ensured

PMBJP: Jan Aushadhi Kendras expand nationwide; quality-assurance and supply safeguards

SP
Samachar Pathshala Desk
25 Jul 2026 · 2 min
Illustration showing Jan Aushadhi Kendra storefront and pharmacy shelf stocked with generic medicines
Key takeaways
  • Tamil Nadu is reported to have 1,631 functional Jan Aushadhi Kendras as on 30.06.2026, including 74 JAKs across the Salem and Kallakurichi districts within the Kallakurichi Lok Sabha Constituency.

What happened

The Department of Pharmaceuticals reports continued rollout and operationalisation of Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP). As on 30.06.2026, the Government states that 20,149 JAKs are functional across India. The release also specifies Tamil Nadu’s count and highlights the scheme’s medicine basket breadth and announced price advantage versus branded medicines.

Product basket and price positioning under PMBJP

The UPSC angle · GS2 · GS3 · GS4

PMBJP expansion is presented as improving accessibility to generic medicines while addressing quality risks through WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) supplier eligibility, 100% batch pre-testing at accredited laboratories, and GLP-compliant testing arrangements. The policy also targets supply continuity through an end-to-end IT-enabled supply chain, incentivised stocking of fast-moving medicines, and an accessible grievance mechanism for availability issues.

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