The Centre is gearing up to cover all the targeted beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) by January 26, a monumental job given that it entails bringing 270 million more people into the fold of its flagship health scheme.

• The plan is part of the new guidelines provided to all central ministries and agencies in charge of various welfare schemes to speed up the "saturation" of beneficiaries, which means covering all intended individuals.
• Over 280 million people have an Ayushman card, which entitles the holder – someone living below the poverty line — to access quality healthcare.
• The government's goal is to cover at least 550 million people, leaving a large gap of at least 270 million people to close in just over a month.