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Maternity benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) have not been fully implemented, despite being legally required by the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013.

Legal Entitlements Under NFSA 2013

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 mandates that all pregnant women (except those in the formal sector) are entitled to ₹6,000 per child as maternity benefits. Adjusted for inflation, this amount should be at least ₹12,000 today

Maternity benefits are crucial for helping women care for themselves and their newborns, especially in a country where maternal and child health indicators remain poor.

Coverage

The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) was launched in 2017, and was meant to implement the NFSA's maternity benefits. However, it has diluted the Act's provisions:

PMMVY limits benefits to one child per family, extending to a second child only if it is a girl. This violates the NFSA's universal mandate.
The amount has been arbitrarily reduced to ₹5,000 for the first child, far below the NFSA's stipulated ₹6,000.
Women must meet stringent conditions to receive the full amount, making the process cumbersome and exclusionary.

Declining Coverage

It peaked at 36% in 2019-20 and sharply declined thereafter.
In 2023-24, coverage crashed to a mere 9%, leaving the vast majority of eligible women without support.

Budget Cuts

Central government spending on PMMVY hit an all-time low of ₹870 crore in 2023-24, just one-third of the expenditure five years earlier.
To cover 90% of all births at ₹6,000 per birth, the scheme would require a budget of at least ₹12,000 crore, highlighting the severe underfunding.

Concerns

The Aadhaar-based payment system and digital processes have created barriers, excluding many women who lack access to digital infrastructure or face authentication issues.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has been criticized for failing to proactively disclose basic information about PMMVY, as mandated by the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The absence of publicly available data makes it difficult to assess the scheme's performance and hold the government accountable.

Tamil Nadu and Odisha Models

Tamil Nadu provides ₹18,000 per child, while Odisha offers ₹10,000 per child (recently doubled ahead of the 2024 elections).

In 2021-22, Odisha achieved 64% coverage, and Tamil Nadu reached 84% in 2023-24, compared to PMMVY's national coverage of less than 10%.

These states demonstrate that adequate funding, simplified processes, and political will can significantly improve the reach and impact of maternity benefit schemes.

Formal v/s Informal Sector Disparity

Women in the formal sector are entitled to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, exceeding the World Health Organization's norm of 14 weeks.
In contrast, women in the unorganized sector receive a meager ₹5,000 under PMMVY, provided they navigate the scheme's complex conditionalities.

Way Forward

Extend benefits to all pregnant women, regardless of the number of children or gender.
Raise the amount to at least ₹12,000 and index it to inflation.
Remove Aadhaar-based barriers and streamline implementation.
Proactively disclose data and ensure regular monitoring.

Must Read Articles:

NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT (NFSA)

PRADHAN MANTRI MATRU VANDANA YOJANA

Source:

THE HINDU

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Discuss the objectives of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and its role in ensuring food security in India. 150 words

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