Recently, Gujarat created history when a living donor's heart was transported in time through a Green Corridor using the Vande Bharat Express.

One family was saying a final goodbye to a loved one. At the very same moment, in another hospital, a patient was being wheeled into the operating theatre with renewed hope of life. The grief of one family became the joy of another.

That is the greatest beauty of organ donation. Even after death, a person can continue to live through the beating hearts, clear vision, and renewed lives of many others.

India achieved a historic milestone in organ transplantation in 2025. For the first time, the country performed 20,138 organ transplants, about 6–7 per cent more than the previous year. In 2013, the number stood at just 4,990. In little over a decade, organ transplantation has grown more than fourfold.

Delhi-NCR led the country with over 4,500 transplants, followed by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Kerala. Tamil Nadu once again set the benchmark in deceased organ donation, while Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka have also made remarkable progress.

Today, India is the world's leading country in living-donor organ transplantation. In terms of total transplant numbers, it now ranks behind only the United States and China. This achievement reflects the dedication of thousands of doctors, transplant surgeons, nurses, and healthcare workers. It also honours the extraordinary courage of families who chose to give life to strangers while coping with their own loss.

A donor's family member said, "Our son is gone, but his kidneys and liver are now living in two other families. We feel that a part of him is still alive."

A transplant recipient, who had spent years on dialysis, said emotionally, "When the doctor told me an organ had become available, I felt I had returned from the jaws of death. I can now play with my children again. Words are not enough to thank the donor family."

Transplant specialists also applaud this growing movement. A renowned transplant surgeon says, "Organ donation is the greatest gift. Please do not take your organs to heaven. Heaven knows we need them here."

In Agra, Sarojini Naidu Medical College is moving rapidly towards expanding its organ transplant services. All major preparations for kidney transplantation at its Super Speciality Wing have been completed, and regular transplant procedures are expected to begin soon. The college already offers corneal transplantation and plans to introduce liver, heart, and lung transplants in the future. Its Department of Anatomy also accepts whole-body donations. Donated bodies are used for training MBBS and postgraduate students, anatomy education, and surgical teaching. Individuals interested in body donation can register with the Department of Anatomy.

Since 2023, more than five lakh people have pledged to donate their organs through the National Digital Portal. Initiatives such as the Jug-Jug Jiyo campaign, the NOTTO mobile app, and the One Nation, One Policy initiative have made the system more transparent. Several new AIIMS institutions have also expanded kidney and liver transplant facilities.

Yet major challenges remain. Every year, lakhs of patients continue to wait for life-saving organs. Many die simply because suitable organs are not available in time. This shortage also fuels the illegal organ trade.

Cases of kidneys being stolen or poor people being forced or deceived into selling their organs continue to surface. Middlemen prey upon poor farmers, labourers, and people trapped in debt. Fake relationships and forged documents are used to carry out illegal transplants.

International organ trafficking networks linked to Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi-NCR, Bangladesh, and Cambodia have also been exposed. Poor donors receive only a small payment, while desperate patients are charged enormous sums. In some cases, kidneys are removed without proper consent or through outright fraud. This black market is a grave assault on human dignity.

The law is strict, but only greater public awareness, transparency, and a stronger culture of voluntary organ donation can eliminate this illegal trade.

Real success will come when organ donation after death becomes a natural part of our social culture. After all, a person's greatest legacy is not wealth but the lives they leave behind by saving others.

Organ donation is truly the most beautiful celebration of life after death.