SGS

Good Samaritan Scheme

5.8/10

Launched on 3rd Oct 2021 by the MoRTH, the scheme grants an award to the good samaritan who has saved the life of a victim of a fatal accident (involving a motor vehicle) by administering immediate assistance and rushing to the Hospital/Trauma Care Centre within the Golden Hour of the accident.

Central Cash

States / UT: All India

Ministry / nodal: Ministry Of Road Transport & Highways

Nodal department: Department of National Highways

Scheme for: Individual

Scheme profile

Scheme open date: 2021-03-10

Categories: Social welfare & Empowerment

Sub-categories: Crisis/Disaster/Accident, Citizen empowerment

Target beneficiaries: Individual

Tags: Accident, Citizen Empowerment, Health

Details

Launched on 3rd Oct 2021 by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, the "Scheme for Good Samaritan" grants an award to the good samaritan who has saved the life of a victim of a fatal accident (involving a motor vehicle) by administering immediate assistance and rushing to Hospital/Trauma Care Centre within the Golden Hour of the accident to provide medical treatment. The amount of award for each Good Samaritan would be ₹ 25,000/- per incident. The scheme will remain operational till the completion of the 15th Financial Cycle, i.e. till 31st March 2026.
The objective of the scheme is to motivate the general public to help road accident victims in emergency situations and inspire and motivate others to save innocent lives.. A Good Samaritan who has informed the police of any accident involving a motor vehicle, or who has transported a victim of an accident involving a motor vehicle to the hospital, shall not be subjected to any further requirements by the police or the hospital and shall be permitted to leave immediately.

Benefits

  • - Award Amount For Single Incident: If one Good Samaritan saves one or more victims in a single fatal motor vehicle accident, a total award of ₹5,000/- is given. - Award Distribution Among Multiple Samaritans (Single Victim): If more than one Good Samaritan saves one victim, the award amount (₹25,000/-) award is equally divided among them. - Award For Multiple Victims And Samaritans: If more than one Good Samaritan saves multiple victims, ₹25,000/- is given per victim, subject to a maximum of ₹5,000/- per Good Samaritan. - Certification Of Appreciation: Each cash award is accompanied by a Certification of Appreciation. - National Level Awards: 10 most deserving Good Samaritans are selected annually and awarded ₹1,00,000/- each. - Maximum Award Limit Per Year: An individual Good Samaritan can receive the award up to 5 times in a year
  • Award Amount For Single Incident: If one Good Samaritan saves one or more victims in a single fatal motor vehicle accident, a total award of ₹ 5,000/- is given. - Award Distribution Among Multiple Samaritans (Single Victim): If more than one Good Samaritan saves one victim, the award amount (₹25,000/-) award is equally divided among them. - Award For Multiple Victims And Samaritans: If more than one Good Samaritan saves multiple victims, ₹25,000/- is given per victim, subject to a maximum of ₹ 5,000/- per Good Samaritan. - Certification Of Appreciation: Each cash award is accompanied by a Certification of Appreciation. - National Level Awards: 10 most deserving Good Samaritans are selected annually and awarded ₹ 1,00,000/- each. - Maximum Award Limit Per Year: An individual Good Samaritan can receive the award up to 5 times in a year.

Eligibility

  • The applicant should have saved the life of a victim of a fatal accident involving a motor vehicle by administering immediate assistance and rushing to the Hospital/Trauma Care Centre within the Golden Hour of the accident to provide medical treatment.
  • Good Samaritans, who are not willing to disclose their details, would not be awarded under the scheme.

How useful is this scheme?

Public benefit analysis

A practical look at this scheme for citizens

AI-generated insights showing how useful, accessible, and practical this scheme may be — combining deterministic scoring rules with a public-policy LLM analyst.

5.8
/ 10
Public Benefit Score
Accessibility 5.0/10 Moderate
Rural usefulness 7.0/10 Good
Application complexity 7.0/10 Challenging
Financial impact 6.0/10 Moderate
Literacy barrier 6.0/10 Moderate
Women inclusivity 5.0/10 Moderate
Awareness 7.0/10 Good
Implementation reliability 7.0/10 Good
Bigger shape means a better fit for citizens
  • Accessibility5.0
  • Financial impact6.0
  • Rural utility7.0
  • Awareness7.0
  • Simplicity3.0
  • Inclusivity5.0

What problem does this scheme solve?

The Good Samaritan Scheme aims to encourage citizens to assist road accident victims by providing financial rewards for their help.

Key challenges addressed

  • Encourages timely assistance to accident victims
  • Reduces fear of legal repercussions for helpers

Most beneficial for

  • Individuals willing to help accident victims
  • Community members in accident-prone areas

Likely challenges

  • Awareness of the scheme among potential Good Samaritans
  • Complexity in the application process

Practical insights for citizens

The scheme's effectiveness depends on timely reporting and documentation.

Rural challenges

  • Limited awareness of the scheme
  • Difficulties in accessing police and hospital documentation

Implementation bottlenecks

  • Verification process may delay benefits

Awareness challenges

  • Low public knowledge about the scheme

Application analysis

Application mode
Offline
Documents burden
Low
Verification complexity
Moderate
Office dependency
High
DBT dependency
Low
CSC support
Limited
Estimated citizen effort
Moderate

Estimated beneficiary reach

  • Rural / urban reach Moderate
  • Gender reach All
  • Occupation reach All

Benefit analysis

Benefit type
Cash
Benefit frequency
Per incident
Benefit practicality
Moderate
Financial meaningfulness
Moderate
Long-term impact
Encourages a culture of helping accident victims

Plain-language guidance

The Good Samaritan Scheme rewards individuals who help accident victims with cash awards. To qualify, you must assist a victim and follow the application process.

Who should apply
Anyone who helps a road accident victim.
Who may struggle
Individuals unfamiliar with police or hospital procedures.
Best application route
Apply via local police station after assisting a victim.

This intelligence section is generated by an AI policy analyst combined with rule-based scoring. Scores and narrative are estimates derived from the publicly available scheme information shown on this page; actual experience may vary by state, district, and department. Always confirm details on the official portal before you apply.

Application Process

Offline

Case 01:

In case the incident is informed to the police at the first hand by the Good Samaritan. After verifying details from Doctor the police shall provide Acknowledgment to such Good Samaritan, on an official letter pad, mentioning the name of the good Samaritan, his mobile number and address, place, date, and time of the incident, and how the Good Samaritan has helped in saving the life of the victim, etc.

Case 02:

In case the Good Samaritan takes the victim to the hospital directly. The concerned hospital shall provide all the details to the concerned police station. The police shall provide an Acknowledgment to such Good Samaritan, on an official letter pad, mentioning the name of the Good Samaritan, his mobile number and address, place, date, and time of the incident, how the Good Samaritan has helped in saving the life of the victim, etc.

Step 1: The copy of the Acknowledgement (as per Annexure - A) would be sent by the concerned police station to the Appraisal Committee formed at District Level under the Chairmanship of the District Magistrate with a copy marked to the Good Samaritan(s). with a copy marked to the Good Samaritan(s).
Step 2: On receipt of communication from the Police Station/Hospital, the District Level Appraisal Committee shall review and approve the proposals on a monthly basis.
Step 3: This list would be sent to the Transport Commissioner of the concerned State / UT Transport Department for the necessary payment.
Step 4: The payment for the selected Good Samaritan would be made online in their Bank Account directly by the Transport Department of the State/UT.
Step 5: By 30th September or the date decided by MoRTH every year, the State Level Monitoring Committee of each State/UT will nominate the three most worthy proposals for national-level awards on a yearly basis to this Ministry for further consideration.

An Appraisal Committee of MoRTH headed by AS/JS (Road Safety) and also comprising of Director/ Deputy Secretary (Road safety), Director/Deputy Secretary (Transport), and Dy. Financial Advisor/ MoRTH shall review the proposals received from each State / UTs and select the best ten Good Samaritans of the year. They will be awarded ₹1,00,000/- each along with a Certificate and trophy during NRSM in Delhi.


Clarifications

Additional points from the scheme information published on myScheme (not legal advice).

Who Is A Good Samaritan?

A Good Samaritan is a person who, in good faith, without expectation of payment or reward and without any duty of care or special relationship, voluntarily comes forward to administer immediate assistance or emergency care to a person injured in an accident, or crash, or emergency medical condition, or emergency situation.

What Is Good Samaritan Law?

The Good Samaritan Law allows a person, without expectation of payment or reward and without any duty of care or special relationship, voluntarily come forward to administer immediate assistance or emergency care to a person injured in an accident, or crash, or emergency medical condition. Good Samaritan Law protects Good Samaritans from harassment on the actions being taken by them to save the life of the road accident victims.

Why The Need For Good Samaritan Law?

India is an unfortunate victim of a large number of road crash fatalities. Three out of four people in the country are hesitant to help injured accident victims on roads due to fear of police harassment, detention at hospitals, and prolonged legal formalities. Even if someone wants to help, these factors stop them from doing so.

How Did India Get A Good Samaritan Law?

In the last ten years, road crashes have killed over 13 lakh people in India. According to the Law Commission of India, 50% of these victims died of preventable injuries and could have been saved if they had received care on time. The role of the bystander is critical in providing emergency care to the victim. Yet, in India, bystanders have been hesitant to help the injured for fear of legal repercussions and procedural hassles. In 2012, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court of India, requesting the Hon'ble court to safeguard Good Samaritans who come forward to help the injured.

What is the Award For Each Good Samaritan?

The amount of award for each Good Samaritan would be ₹ 5,000/- per incident.

Till when shall this scheme Remain Operational?

The scheme will remain operational till the completion of the 15th Financial Cycle, i.e. till 31st March 2026.

What is the Objective Of The Good Samaritan Scheme?

The objective of the scheme is to motivate the general public to help road accident victims in emergency situations and inspire and motivate others to save innocent lives..

Will the Good Samaritan be Subjected To Any Further Requirements By The Police?

A Good Samaritan who has informed the police of any accident involving a motor vehicle, or who has transported a victim of an accident involving a motor vehicle to the hospital, shall not be subjected to any further requirements by the police or the hospital and shall be permitted to leave immediately.

How many National Level Awards are granted each year For The Most Worthy Good Samaritans?

There will be 10 National Level Awards for the most worthy Good Samaritans (who will be selected from all those who have been awarded during the whole year) and they would be given an Award of ₹ 1,00,000/- each.

How many times can a Good Samaritan be awarded?

An individual Good Samaritan can be awarded a maximum of 5 times a year.

Will the Good Samaritan receive a "Certification of Appreciation"?

Yes, every cash award would be accompanied by a "Certification of Appreciation".

What if More Than One Good Samaritan Saves The Life Of More Than One Victim?

If more than one Good Samaritan saves the life of more than one victim of a fatal accident involving a motor vehicle, the amount of award will be ₹ 5000/- per victim saved subject to a maximum of ₹ 5000/-per Good Samaritan.

Definitions

  • Golden Hour
  • Fatal Accident

References

Guidelines
https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s3250413d2982f1f83aa62a3a323cd2a87/uploads/2025/05/202505191131972350.pdf
Official Website
https://morth.gov.in/#/offerings/schemes-and-services/details/be-a-good-samaritan
PIB (Press Release)
https://www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1795122&reg=3&lang=2

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Frequently asked questions

What is the purpose of Good Samaritan Scheme?
Good Samaritan Scheme is a government welfare initiative designed to support Individual, Individual through benefits related to Social welfare & Empowerment, financial assistance, subsidies, social welfare, healthcare, education, or livelihood support.
Who can apply for Good Samaritan Scheme?
Eligibility for Good Samaritan Scheme may depend on factors such as income category, age, gender, occupation, state of residence, social category, and government-defined beneficiary criteria.
What benefits are offered under Good Samaritan Scheme?
Benefits under Good Samaritan Scheme may include financial assistance, subsidies, scholarships, insurance support, healthcare benefits, pension support, training assistance, or welfare services depending on the scheme guidelines.
Which department manages Good Samaritan Scheme?
Good Samaritan Scheme is managed by Department of National Highways and may be implemented through district offices, online portals, CSC centres, banks, or authorised government agencies.
Can users apply online for Good Samaritan Scheme?
Yes, eligible applicants may be able to apply online for Good Samaritan Scheme through official government portals, authorised service centres, or digital application systems depending on the implementation process.
Is Aadhaar mandatory for Good Samaritan Scheme?
Many government schemes may require Aadhaar verification, identity proof, or linked bank account details for beneficiary validation and direct benefit transfer processing.
Where can users apply for Good Samaritan Scheme?
Applications for Good Samaritan Scheme may be submitted through government departments, official scheme portals, CSC centres, district offices, welfare departments, or authorised service centres.
What documents may be required for Good Samaritan Scheme?
Applicants may need Aadhaar card, income certificate, residence proof, bank account details, caste certificate, photographs, educational records, or occupation-related documents depending on scheme eligibility requirements.
Is Good Samaritan Scheme a central government scheme?
Yes, Good Samaritan Scheme is a central government welfare initiative that may be implemented across multiple states through authorised departments and agencies.
Does Good Samaritan Scheme provide healthcare or insurance support?
Good Samaritan Scheme may provide healthcare assistance, insurance coverage, cashless treatment support, medical reimbursement, or hospital-related benefits depending on the scheme structure.
Can beneficiaries use Good Samaritan Scheme at government hospitals?
Eligible beneficiaries may be able to access services at empanelled hospitals, government healthcare facilities, or authorised healthcare providers depending on scheme participation rules.
Can CSC centres help users apply for Good Samaritan Scheme?
Many government schemes may be accessible through nearby CSC centres, authorised digital service centres, or welfare facilitation offices.
How can users check the latest updates for Good Samaritan Scheme?
Users should verify official notifications, department announcements, application deadlines, and eligibility updates through authorised government portals or implementing agencies.
Are there deadlines for applying to Good Samaritan Scheme?
Some schemes may operate through fixed application windows, annual registration cycles, or department-specific deadlines depending on scheme implementation policies.
Can beneficiaries track application status for Good Samaritan Scheme?
Certain schemes may provide online application tracking, beneficiary verification systems, or status-check facilities through official portals.
Where can users get help for Good Samaritan Scheme in All India?
Users in All India may seek assistance through CSC centres, district welfare offices, government departments, agriculture offices, social welfare departments, or authorised facilitation centres.
Which nearby public services may help with Good Samaritan Scheme applications?
Depending on the scheme, users may require support from Aadhaar centres, CSC centres, banks, hospitals, post offices, or government welfare offices for document verification and application assistance.