Empowering Mothers: The Technological Revolution in India's PMMVY Scheme

The use of facial recognition technology in the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) significantly enhances beneficiary outreach. With over 59.19 lakh women benefiting, biometrics and a Due List system aid enrollment and efficient grievance handling, reflecting technological advancement in supporting maternal welfare in India.

The integration of facial recognition technology in the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) is streamlining the process of providing maternity benefits to women across India. With technological advancements under PMMVY, over 59.19 lakh women have received benefits, amounting to Rs 2,022.08 crore in the 2025–26 financial year, according to sources in the Women and Child Development Ministry.

This high-impact initiative was put under review by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 50th edition of PRAGATI, a governance and implementation platform. Officials are tasked with ensuring comprehensive coverage for eligible beneficiaries while rigorously preventing any disbursement of benefits to those who are not eligible.

With the latest upgrade introduced in 2025, biometric authentication using facial recognition has become mandatory for new enrollments. Utilization of the existing Facial Recognition System on the Poshan Tracker, and additional UIDAI-based facial authentication options, has made the process more efficient across over 740 districts in India, showcasing both scale and adaptability.

(With inputs from agencies.)