The Centre released the rules related to the THOTA Act in 2014
Hyderabad: The Assembly has unanimously supported the Telangana Transplantation of Human Organs (repeal) Bill, 2025, which was introduced in the House by health and medical minister C. Damodar Rajanarsimha. The old law was repealed to enable the adoption of a new law on organ and tissue donation.
Speaking in the Assembly, the minister said the Centre amended the the Transplantation of Human Organ Act, 1994, to the ‘Transplantation of Human Organ and Tissues Act’ (THOTA) in 2011 for the transplantation of organs and tissues.
The Centre released the rules related to the THOTA Act in 2014. In addition to organs like heart, kidney, liver, skin, bone marrow, blood vessels, heart valves will also come under the ambit of the law. These organs and tissues can be collected from brain dead donors and transplanted to those in need. The law also allows grandparents to donate organs to their grandchildren.
Due to certain genetic disorders, children have to undergo liver transplant. Such children will have the opportunity to donate their grandparents’ liver. This will be useful in saving the lives of the children. Similarly, grandchildren can also donate organs to their grandparents. New rules will come into force to punish strictly everyone involved in illegal trafficking and illegal transplantation of organs.
The previous law entailed a fine of Rs.5,000 and a jail term of up to 3 years for the violators. According to the new rules, a fine of up to Rs.1 crore penalty and a jail term of up to 10 years can be imposed on violators.
According to the 1995 rules, only neurosurgery and neuro physicians were authorised to declare a patient as brain dead. According to the new rules, any physician, surgeon, intensivist, and anaesthetist can declare brain death, saving lives of several patients who need it.
An advisory committee will be formed at the government level to monitor organ donation and transplantation. Jeevandan will be linked with the organ transplant systems (SOTTO) of the Centre and other states. Organs collected from brain death donors in other states will be able to be transplanted into patients in our state," the health minister said.
BRS working president and MLA K.T. Rama Rao welcomed the Bill and urged Speaker G. Prasad Kumar to organise an organ donation pledge in the Assembly so that all the legislators can set an example to the society by pledging their organs for donation. “I will be the first one to make the pledge. There is a need to create awareness and encourage people to participate in organ donation.”
Members cutting across party lines supported the Bill. Former health minister T Harish Rao said Telangana was leading the way in organ donation and recalled that from 189 such donations in 2013, in 2024, donations rose to 725. The Centre too acknowledged how well the state is performing on this front, he said.
Harish Rao also suggested that to encourage families to donate organs of their loved ones, the government should consider state funerals for such donors, or provide a house or a job, or health insurance to members of such families. “Such measures will go a long way in encouraging families to donate organs,” Harish Rao said.
The BJP and CPI MLAs also welcomed the Bill and asked the government to implement the Bill to facilitate organ donations from brain dead persons to needy patients in the state.
