The 40th National Eye Donation Fortnight was observed across India from August 25 to September 8, 2025, as part of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness and encourage voluntary eye donation. This annual initiative plays a vital role in sensitizing the public about the importance of eye donation in restoring vision and reducing corneal blindness in the country.

Hospitals, institutions, and organizations across India actively participated through awareness drives, media outreach, and educational programs. Among them, ICARE Eye Hospital & Post Graduate Institute, an institutional life member of the Eye Bank Association of India (EBAI) and a registered eye bank with the Government of India, contributed significantly to the campaign.

On September 4, 2025, ICARE Eye Hospital organized a special awareness event where Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MOHAN Foundation NCR, was invited as the Guest of Honour and keynote speaker. She was accompanied by Ms. Simran Anand, Programme Officer, NCR. The event also featured Dr. Shubhra Mittal, Additional CMO, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Noida, as the Chief Guest.

In her keynote address, Ms. Pallavi Kumar delivered a powerful presentation on the significance of grief counselling in organ donation. Drawing from real-life experiences, she emphasized that a “No is not always a No” when families are counselled with empathy and sensitivity during moments of grief. Her message strongly resonated with participants, illustrating how grief counselling can positively influence decisions on eye and organ donation.

Other speakers highlighted the importance of eye donation, the role of eye banks, and the urgent need to bridge the demand-supply gap for donor corneas. The event also featured a display of posters on eye donation created by students.