Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana or PMMVY was launched by the Indian Government in 2010. It is a conditional scheme facilitating cash transfers to protect women and their financial needs during childbirth and child care. 

Are you facing a financial crisis while being pregnant? Find out all about this scheme and how it can help you with this article!

The launch of PMMVY aimed to address issues related to maternal health. Formerly known as Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana, the scheme got its current name in 2017. 

Its purpose is to provide a direct cash benefit to pregnant and lactating mothers, particularly those aged 19 years or above, for their first live birth. The funds they receive from being a beneficiary allow women to look after themselves before childbirth and avoid working in a weak physical condition.

The PMMVY scheme aims at improving maternal health by taking care of the economic conditions of first-time mothers. The following list will give you the detailed objectives of this scheme.

• Provision of cash compensation to look after a healthy diet of the mothers
• Enabling them to rest after childbirth
• Promotion of institutional care to avoid spreading diseases from mother to child
• Healthy behaviour among pregnant/lactating mothers for promoting nutrition among new-born babies
• Promotion of healthy feeding practices to avoid malnourishment of new-born babies

Thus, it is safe to say an initiative towards maternal health through PMMVY is a unique and relevant scheme from the Government. To further understand this scheme, you can check out its features in the following section.

Cash Compensation

The primary purpose of PM Matritva Vandana Yojana is to provide direct cash to young mothers to look after their health conditions. The beneficiaries receive a sum of ₹ 5,000 in three instalments. The first instalment of ₹ 1,000 comes after the early registration of pregnancy. The next instalment is ₹ 2,000, which arrives after six months of pregnancy. The final instalment of ₹ 2,000 comes after childbirth is registered.

Maternal Healthcare

PMMVY aims at promoting maternal healthcare. It is known that maternal health largely determines the baby’s health. This scheme encourages the importance of healthy and nutritious food diets for pregnant and lactating women before giving birth. They should maintain proper weight and avoid working in the advanced stages of pregnancy or immediately after childbirth.

Healthy Habits for the Babies

The Pradhan Mantri Matritva VandanaYojana promotes healthy habits among first-time mothers to retain their babies’ health. Instances are not rare whereby mothers work excessively, losing nutrition from their bodies. This causes a lack of breast milk. This scheme encourages such women to rest and indulge in proper breastfeeding of the babies. It will make them nutritious and healthy.

Now that you have a fair idea about Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana, you must be wondering if you will be eligible for this scheme. Check out the following eligibility criteria. You can become a beneficiary if you meet these.

• Every Indian pregnant/lactating woman can apply, except those employed in Government firms.
• An applicant should be giving birth for the first time to receive the benefits.
• This scheme will benefit the applicants only once. However, in case of miscarriage or stillbirth, the first instalment will be released. The rest will be disbursed in case of future pregnancies.

If you are wondering about applying for Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana, it is pretty convenient and straightforward. The following section will give you a step-by-step guide for this.

• Step 1: You need to procure Form 1-A, and fill it out. You can get it from your nearest Anganwadi Centre (AWC) or approved Health facility. You can also download it from the official website of  Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Step 2: Fill out the form with all your details. Carry documents such as photocopies of the MCP Card (Mother and Child Protection Card), the Aadhaar Card of the beneficiary and her husband and their bank account details.
• Step 3: Submit your filled Form 1-A with all the documents to your nearest Anganwadi Centre or approved Health facility.
• Step 4: For claiming the second instalment, submit Form 1-B after six months of pregnancy with your MCP Card. Similarly, Form 1-C will be required for claiming the third instalment.

PMMVY is capable of meeting the current crisis regarding maternal healthcare in India. If you are still unsure, check out the following benefits of this scheme.

• It provides cash compensation of ₹ 5,000 to pregnant or lactating women for their first births.
• Such women will afford healthier diets and institutional care before and after childbirth.
• Beneficiaries will also be eligible for the incentives under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY).
• This scheme will result in healthier babies and reduce malnourishment among them. 

Therefore, PMMVY can be a decisive move to bring down the current rate of maternal health concerns. Maternal health status in India is still a significant concern, especially in rural areas. In 2015, India was accountable for nearly one-fifth of the global maternal deaths. In most cases, women work even during their advanced pregnancy stages because of their social conditions. It often negatively affects their ability to breastfeed the baby, resulting in malnourishment.

The Indian Government aims at preventing malnourishment among both babies and their mothers with this scheme. It is likely to help create a better future for the coming generation.