Rah-Veer Scheme: Saving Lives in the ‘Golden Hour’ Without Legal Fear

NEW DELHI, Jan 4, 2026: To combat the rising fatalities on Indian roads, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is promoting the “Rah-Veer” (Good Samaritan) initiative, emphasizing that immediate intervention during the “Golden Hour” can prevent 3% of the nation’s GDP loss caused by road accidents.

Under the Good Samaritan Rules notified in 2020, individuals who rush accident victims to the hospital are legally shielded from civil or criminal liability. These “Rah-Veers” cannot be forced to disclose personal information, detained by police, or coerced into paying hospital bills.

The law ensures that their privacy and dignity are protected, allowing them to remain anonymous or provide a single police statement at their own convenience, effectively removing the traditional barriers of legal harassment that often discourage bystanders from helping.

Beyond legal protection, the government is actively incentivizing life-saving actions through financial rewards and national recognition. Any citizen who assists a victim within the critical first hour of an injury is eligible for a ₹25,000 reward and a Certificate of Appreciation, an honor that can be received up to five times a year.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has highlighted that most road deaths are preventable if medical care is administered in time. By transforming bystanders into “Rah-Veers,” the scheme aims to foster a culture of empathy where fear of the system is replaced by the pride of saving a life, ensuring that no victim is left stranded due to administrative or legal hesitation.