4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 7, 2026 05:27 AM IST
While road fatalities in India continue to rise, a key government scheme that rewards Good Samaritans who help accident victims reach hospitals during the crucial “Golden Hour” has seen limited participation. According to data tabled by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, only 813 people have been awarded under the scheme over the past five years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The scheme has also seen participation from just 15 states and two Union territories, which awarded Good Samaritans, or Raah-Veers, during this period.
Launched in October 2021 by MoRTH, the scheme provides a reward of Rs 25,000 to anyone who helps an accident victim reach a hospital during the “Golden Hour” — the first 60 minutes after a critical accident. Earlier, the reward amount was Rs 5,000. The cash prize and certificate were introduced to encourage the public to assist accident victims and inspire others to help save lives.
Only 77 Good Samaritans were awarded in 2021-22, followed by 75 in 2022-23, 384 in 2023-24, 177 in 2024-25 and 100 in 2025-26, the data showed. While extending the scheme for another five years in July, the ministry asked states to create wider awareness and publicise the scheme among the general public.
Among the eight states — Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh — that account for two-thirds of road accident deaths in the country, two states saw no beneficiaries under the scheme over the last five years, according to MoRTH data.
Out of these eight states, Rajasthan awarded the highest number of Good Samaritans during the period at 224, followed by Bihar (95), Madhya Pradesh (54), Uttar Pradesh (35), Andhra Pradesh (23) and Tamil Nadu (19).
A total of 1.77 lakh people died in road accidents in 2024, an increase of 2.31% from 2023, when 1.73 lakh fatalities were recorded in 4.80 lakh accidents.
States lag on Good Samaritan protection
Bystanders, or Good Samaritans or Raah-Veers, are among the most important links in saving lives on the road. They are often the first responders at the scene of a road accident. While the government has not provided any specific reason for the low number of awardees across states, it is widely acknowledged that people often hesitate to help accident victims due to fears of being subjected to police or hospital questioning, paperwork, disclosure of personal information and follow-ups.
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The Supreme Court, in a significant order on March 30, 2016, recognised the rights of Good Samaritans and directed states to establish state- and district-level grievance redressal mechanisms to address violations. More than a decade later, several states have been slow to implement it.
The Indian Express reported on June 26, citing court documents, that among the eight states accounting for two-thirds of the 1.77 lakh fatalities in 2024, only two — Maharashtra and Karnataka — have a grievance redressal system for Good Samaritans. Four states do not have such a mechanism, while two states did not provide the required information in their submissions to the Supreme Court.
Overall, even 10 years after the court order, only eight states and Union territories have a law in place to address the grievances of Good Samaritans. This assumes significance as at least 30% of all trauma-related deaths in the country are attributed to delays in emergency care, according to a 2021 NITI Aayog-AIIMS Emergency and Injury Care Report.
In July, the ministry extended the scheme for the 2026-27 to 2030-31 cycle, with an initial grant of Rs 25 lakh to states for making payments to Raah-Veers. The states disburse Rs 25,000 per beneficiary after receiving a duly submitted application containing the accident ID, Aadhaar details and bank account information.
