Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana – (PMMVY)
- Under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), so far 1.75 crore eligible beneficiaries have been given maternity benefits.
- Along with this, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) awards were given to the States / Union Territories and Districts for best performance at a function held in New Delhi.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
- Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana is a maternity benefit scheme which was started in 2010 under the name of “Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY)”. The scheme was announced again on December 31, 2016, in the name of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. This scheme has been implemented in all the districts of the country as per the provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013.
- Under this scheme, pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to get an amount of Rs 5,000 for the first child in three installments, after fulfilling some conditions.
- This amount partially compensates for the daily wage loss that women have to bear due to having children and caring for them and it also provides for safe delivery and good nutrition.
- Exception: Women who work in Central Government or State Government or Public Sector Undertaking or who are already getting similar benefits, will not get the benefit of this scheme.
- Financing: This is a centrally funded scheme, with a cost of 60:40 to the center and the state. The ratio is 90:10 in the northeastern states and the three Himalayan states. Central contribution for this scheme is 100% in the Union Territories where there is no Legislative Assembly.
Challenges:
- Even after the completion of three years, this scheme has not become truly universal.
- Uneducated people are facing problems due to its lengthy paperwork.
- In the application process, women have to pay bribes.
Significance:
- In India, there is still a problem of malnutrition among women. Every third woman in the country is malnourished and every second woman suffers of anemia. The weight of a child born to a malnourished woman is also less. If the child gets nutrition during pregnancy, then the child will get the benefit of it for life. Keeping this problem at the center, this scheme lays special emphasis on nutrition.
Source – PIB
