More women got maternity benefit

What is the News?

The number of beneficiaries who enrolled for the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) has exceeded the government’s target of 51.7 lakh per year in each of the last three years.

What is Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)?

Nodal Ministry: Ministry for Women and Child Development

Purpose: It provides a benefit of ₹5,000 in three instalments to a woman for her first living child upon meeting certain conditions. This is meant as partial compensation for loss of wage during her pregnancy so that she can get proper nutrition. 

The scheme is only for those women who are not employed by the Central or State governments or a Public Sector Undertaking and don’t receive similar benefits under any law. 

The scheme is clubbed with the Janani Suraksha Yojana scheme which provides nearly ₹1,000 for institutional births so that altogether mothers get ₹6,000 in maternity benefit.

Why has the scheme been criticized?

The scheme has been criticized for under-funding and failing to cater to all targeted beneficiaries. 

Activists also call the scheme illegal as it violates the National Food Security Act, 2013, under which all mothers and not just mothers of the first living child should get a maternity benefit of ₹6,000.

Source: This post is based on the article “More women got maternity benefit” published in The Hindu on 10th Feb 2022.