Tamil NaduSaturday, 17 October 2026·The Hindu - National
Tamil Nadu honours 319 TB-free villages across Vellore region districts
Tamil Nadu’s Health Department honoured 319 panchayats in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet and Tirupattur for becoming TB-free villages in 2025.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On 9 October 2026, Tamil Nadu’s Health Department honoured 319 panchayats in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts for becoming Tuberculosis (TB) Free Villages in 2025 under the National TB Elimination Programme.
Key specifics
- Tiruvannamalai had the highest number of TB-free villages at 157, while Vellore and Ranipet had 57 each and Tirupattur had 48.
- In 2024, Tiruvannamalai had only 30 TB-free villages, while the other three districts together had 111.
- A village is classified as TB-free when the average is 1 TB case per 1,000 persons.
- A four-member medical team conducts door-to-door inspections and drug susceptibility testing before declaring a village TB-free.
- At present, Tiruvannamalai has 3,000 TB patients under six-month treatment, followed by Vellore with 1,800, Ranipet with 520 and Tirupattur with 500.
Exam lens
Question type: Tamil Nadu health scheme and public health data. TNPSC may ask about 319 panchayats, NTEP, the 1 per 1,000 criterion, and district-wise TB-free village counts.