Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana

The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), a flagship scheme of the Government of India for pregnant women and lactating mothers, has successfully completed nine years

About Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) 

• It is a conditional cash transfer scheme launched in 2017.
• In 2022, incorporated under the sub-scheme ‘Samarthya’ of Mission Shakti  aimed at providing direct financial assistance through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
• Type: It is a centrally sponsored scheme.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development
• Key Objectives:
• • To provide cash incentive for partial compensation for the wage loss so that the woman can take adequate rest before and after delivery of the first child; 
  • To improve health seeking behavior amongst the Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers (PW&LM).
  • To promote positive behavioral change towards girl children by providing additional cash incentive for the second child, if that is a girl child.

Benefits under PMMVY

• Cash Incentive: 
  • A cash incentive of ₹5,000 is provided in two installments to the bank/post office account of pregnant women and lactating mothers for the first child in the family.
  • Eligible beneficiaries also receive the cash incentive as per Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) after institutional delivery, so the total amount averages to ₹6,000.
• Second Child Benefits: A cash incentive of ₹6,000 is provided for eligible beneficiaries having a second child, provided the second child is a girl. (under PMMVY 2.0.)
• Miscarriage/Stillbirth: In case of miscarriage or stillbirth, the beneficiary is treated as a fresh beneficiary for any future pregnancies.
• Target Beneficiaries: Pregnant women aged between 18 years 7 months and 55 years.
• Beneficiary Criteria: The scheme targets women from socially and economically disadvantaged sections, which include:
  • Women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
  • Women with partial (40%) or full disability (Divyang Jan).
  • Women holding BPL ration cards.
  • Women beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY) under Ayushman Bharat.
  • Women holding an E-shram card.
  • Women farmers under Kishan Samman Nidhi.
  • Women holding MGNREGA Job Cards.
  • Women with a net family income of less than ₹8 Lakh per annum.
  • Pregnant and Lactating AWWs/AWHs/ASHAs.
• Implementation: The scheme is implemented by State and UT officials through PMMVYSoft, an online platform launched in March 2023.
  • Aadhaar authentication through UIDAI and NPCI verification ensure that the funds are directly transferred to the DBT-enabled Aadhaar-seeded bank/post office accounts.
• Eligibility Exclusions: Pregnant women and lactating mothers in regular employment with central or state government, PSUs, or those receiving similar benefits under any other law are not entitled to PMMVY benefits.
• Monitoring: The scheme is monitored across various levels – National, State, District, Block/Project, and Village levels, using the PMMVY Software (PMMVYSoft) for efficient tracking and management.

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Impact and Achievements

• Beneficiaries Enrolled: As of now, the scheme has enrolled 4.5 crore beneficiaries.
• Funds Disbursed: Over ₹19,000 crore has been disbursed to the beneficiaries for maternal health support.