Jaipur, Jan 27 (PTI) After the Rajasthan transport department made it mandatory for driving license applicants to declare their willingness for organ donation or otherwise, over 3.14 lakh candidates have taken the pledge, an official said on Thursday.

“This figure is probably the highest in the entire country,” Transport and Road Safety Commissioner Mahendra Soni said.

Also Read | External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Tests COVID-19 Positive.

He said due to the non-availability of organs in India, more than five lakh people die prematurely every year.

“The department's initiative is receiving continuous support. Now, the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTO), run by the state government, has also joined us to take this campaign forward,” he said.

Also Read | COVID-19 Vaccination in India: 95% of Eligible Population Given First Dose of Coronavirus Vaccine, Says Health Ministry.

Data of those driving license holders that have pledged for organ donation will be handed over to SOTO so that the counselling of the consenting licensees and their relatives will be easier in the event of any casualty, he said.

After a meeting of the transport department officials and those from SOTO, Soni released a poster that read, 'Yes I support organ donation'.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)