Context: Despite legal provisions under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, implementation of maternity benefits has been inadequate. PM Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), also has been restrictive and ineffective.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Maternity Benefit initiatives-Issues, Way forward
Maternity Benefit Initiatives in India
- National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013: Entitles all pregnant women (except those in the formal sector) to ₹6,000 per child.
- PM Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY): Initially introduced in 2017, restricts benefits to one child per family, later extended to a second child (if a girl).
- Maternity Benefits Act 1961 (amended 2017): Provides 26 weeks of paid maternity leave in the formal sector, compared to only ₹5,000 in the informal sector under PMMVY.
Issues with PMMVY Implementation
- Violation of NFSA provisions:
- PMMVY provides only ₹5,000 instead of ₹6,000.
- Limiting benefits to one child (or two in case of a girl) contradicts NFSA's universal entitlement.
- Shrinking Coverage:
- Effective coverage peaked at 36% in 2019-20 and crashed to 9% in 2023-24.
- Budgetary allocation for PMMVY fell to ₹870 crore in 2023-24, about one-third of the allocation five years ago.
- Required budget to cover 90% of births at ₹6,000 per child: ₹12,000 crore.
- Lack of Transparency:
- The Ministry of Women and Child Development does not proactively disclose PMMVY data.
- Basic statistics on beneficiaries and disbursement rates are absent from public records.
- Administrative and Technical challenges:
- Frequent software issues disrupted disbursements in 2023-24.
- Aadhar-linked payments and digital application processes create exclusionary barriers.
- Comparison with State Schemes:
- Tamil Nadu: Offers ₹18,000 per child, with 84% coverage in 2023-24.
- Odisha: Provides ₹10,000 per child, covering 64% of births in 2021-22.
- PMMVY (all-India): Coverage fell below 10% in 2023-24.
Way Forward
- Universal Coverage: Restore NFSA-mandated ₹6,000 benefit for every pregnancy.
- Increase budget allocation: Align PMMVY spending with estimated needs.
- Transparent implementation: Publish real-time data on applications, approvals, and disbursements.
- Simplified disbursement process: Reduce bureaucratic and technological hurdles.
- Indexation to inflation: Adjust maternity benefits in line with rising living costs.
Revamped scheme aligned with NFSA provisions is essential to ensure better maternal and child health outcomes. Strengthening maternity benefits is a social investment that benefits not just women, but the entire society.