PMMVY Implementation Concerns | 07 Mar 2025

Source: TH 

Why in News?

Despite maternity benefits being a legal entitlement under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) faces significant implementation challenges, leaving millions of pregnant women without essential benefits. 

What is PMMVY and its Concerns? 

• PMMVY: The PMMVY is Centrally Sponsored scheme launched in 2017 under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, provides maternity benefits to eligible pregnant and lactating women.  
  • However, government employees and those receiving similar benefits are not eligible. 
• Objectives: PMMVY ensures maternal nutrition, promotes institutional deliveries, supports financial stability, and encourages the birth of girl children. 
• Key Features: Provides financial assistance to support maternal health and nutrition. 
  • First child: Rs 5,000 is provided, and additional benefits under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) ensure that women receive around Rs 6,000 in total. 
  • Second child (only if a girl): Rs 6,000 is given to promote gender equality and discourage female feticide. 
• Concerns: 
  • Restricted Coverage: The scheme violates the NFSA, 2013, which mandates universal maternity benefits, by limiting benefits to only the first two children, with the second child covered only if it is a girl. 
  • Budget Cuts: In 2023-24, the central government allocated just Rs 870 crore for the scheme, only one-third of what was allocated in 2019-20. 
    • Covering 90% of births at Rs 6,000 each would require at least Rs 12,000 crore. 
  • Poor Implementation: The scheme’s effective coverage dropped from 36% in 2019-20 to just 9% in 2023-24. 
  • Bureaucratic and Digital Hurdles: The scheme is plagued by Aadhaar-based verification issues, complex application processes and frequent software failures, making it difficult for poor and digitally illiterate women to access benefits. 

What are the Provisions for Maternity Benefits Under NFSA? 

• NFSA 2013: Aims to provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to affordable food grains for a large section of India's population.  
  • The Act marks a shift from welfare-based to rights-based food security, making the Public Distribution System (PDS) more structured and legally binding. 
• Maternity Benefits Under the NFSA, 2013: All pregnant women (except those in the formal sector) are entitled to Rs 6,000 per child as maternity benefits. 
  • Maternity benefits help ensure proper nutrition, healthcare, and rest for pregnant women, which is crucial for maternal and child health. 

Way Forward 

• Grassroots Implementation: Involve Accredited Social Health Activists, Anganwadi workers, and Panchayati Raj institutions to identify and assist eligible beneficiaries. 
  • Extend benefits to low-income workers in the informal economy, as many are outside the scope of paid maternity leave. 
  • Extend benefits to all pregnant women, as mandated by the NFSA  instead of restricting it to the first child and second child. 
• Holistic Approach: Ensure better linkage with JSY, POSHAN Abhiyaan, and state maternity schemes (state models like Tamil Nadu and Odisha) to provide comprehensive maternal care. 
  • Combine cash transfers with free nutrition kits, antenatal care, and postpartum support for better maternal and child health outcomes. 
• Monitoring: Conduct regular independent audits to evaluate fund utilization and beneficiary reach.  
• Remove Digital Hurdles: Introduce alternative identity verification to prevent exclusion due to Aadhaar-related issues. 
  • Ensure payments are credited without delays by integrating with Jan Dhan accounts and removing unnecessary bureaucratic approvals.