Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana

• IAS NEXT, Lucknow
• 08, Feb 2022

Reference News:-

The Government has clarified that Aadhaar of Husbands is not mandatory under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, PMMVY, to facilitate the inclusion of single mothers and abandoned mothers.

About PMMVY:

It is a Maternity Benefit Programme that is implemented in all the districts of the country in accordance with the provision of the National Food Security Act, 2013.

• The direct benefit cash transfer is to help expectant mothers meet enhanced nutritional requirements as well as to partially compensate them for wage loss during their pregnancy.
• The scheme was announced on December 31, 2016. It is being implemented in all districts of the country with effect from 1st January, 2017.

Beneficiaries:

• All Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM), excluding those who are in regular employment with the Central Government or the State Governments or PSUs or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force.
• All eligible Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers who have their pregnancy on or after 1st January 2017 for the first child in the family.

Benefits:

Beneficiaries receive a cash benefit of Rs. 5,000 in three installments on fulfilling the following conditions:

• Early registration of pregnancy
• Ante-natal check-up
• Registration of the birth of the child Completion of the first cycle of vaccination for the first living child of the family.

The eligible beneficiaries also receive cash incentive under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). Thus, on an average, a woman gets Rs. 6,000.

Proposed reforms:

The Centre is likely to soon extend the benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) — currently applicable to eligible pregnant women and lactating mothers for the first child in the family to the second one — only if the child born is a girl.

• Move aimed at discouraging pre-birth sex selection.