Empowering Mothers: India's Successful Nationwide Maternity Scheme Initiative

The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), launched in India in 2017, has benefitted 4.26 crore pregnant women with cash incentives. Recent efforts include biometric authentication and an innovative grievance redressal system to streamline and enhance the program's reach and effectiveness nationwide.

The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), an initiative by the Indian government, has been instrumental in supporting pregnant women across the country since its launch on January 1, 2017. Offering cash incentives of Rs. 5,000 for the first child and Rs. 6,000 for the second child if female, the scheme aims to ease maternity expenses through Direct Benefit Transfer. By January 2026, it has impacted 4.26 crore beneficiaries with total disbursements reaching Rs. 20,060 crore.

In the fiscal year 2025-26 alone, efforts to modernize the scheme included the introduction of mandatory biometric verification via facial authentication as of May 2025. This move, facilitated by the existing Poshan Tracker system, has enabled the enrolment of over 23.60 lakh beneficiaries and aims to ensure benefits reach only eligible recipients. Training sessions and video tutorials have been deployed nationwide to aid states and territories in implementing these updates effectively.

A special enrolment drive in mid-2025 accelerated the adoption of the new system, resulting in 4.63 lakh enrolments. PMMVY's ongoing enhancements include a new integrated Grievance Redressal System, allowing beneficiaries to track application and payment statuses or lodge complaints effectively. The program's reach and administrative efficiency reflect significant strides in improving public services for India's mothers.

(With inputs from agencies.)