Pradhan Mantri Matri Vandana Yojana

Pradhan Mantri Matri Vandana Yojana
CountryIndia
Prime Minister(s)Shri Narendra Modi
MinistryMinistry of Women and Child Development
Launched2010
Websitehttp://wcd.nic.in/

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), previously known as the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana, is a maternity benefit program run by the government of India. It was originally launched in 2010 and renamed in 2017.[1][2] The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It is a conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women of 19 years of age or above for the first live birth.[3]

It provides a partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss during childbirth and childcare and to provide conditions for safe delivery and good nutrition and feeding practices. In 2013, the scheme was brought under the National Food Security Act, 2013 to implement the provision of cash maternity benefit of 6,000 (US$72) stated in the Act.[4]

Presently, the scheme is implemented on a pilot basis in 53 selected districts and proposals are under consideration to scale it up to 200 additional 'high burden districts' in 2015–16.[5] The eligible beneficiaries would receive the incentive given under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) for Institutional delivery and the incentive received under JSY would be accounted towards maternity benefits so that on an average a woman gets 6,000 (US$72)[6]

The scheme, rechristened Maternity benefits programme is set to cover the entire nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 2017 New Year's Eve speech, announced that the scheme will be scaled up to cover 650 districts of the country.[7] The announcement assumes significance as India accounts for 17% of all maternal deaths in the world. The country's maternal mortality ratio is pegged at 113 per 100,000 live births, whereas infant mortality is estimated at 32 per 1,000 live births. Among the primary causes of high maternal and infant mortality are poor nutrition and inadequate medical care during pregnancy and childbirth.[8]

  1. ^ https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1846142 [bare URL]
  2. ^ "'Pradhan Mantri' replaces 'Indira Gandhi' in govt maternity benefit scheme". Hindustan Times. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Modi Government's Maternity Benefits Scheme Will Likely Exclude Women Who Need It the Most".
  4. ^ Rajagopal, Krishnadas (31 May 2015). "PUCL plea in SC questions delay in implementation". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  5. ^ Falcao, Vanita Leah; Khanuja, Jasmeet (28 March 2015). "India's unrealised maternity entitlement". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  6. ^ "Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana". vikaspedia.in. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Full transcript of PM Narendra Modi's New Year's eve speech". hindustantimes.com/. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Rs 6,000 aid for pregnant women on hospitalisation, says Modi". Times of India Blog. Retrieved 6 May 2017.