Key Highlights
- PMMVY marked its ninth anniversary in 2026, underpinning India's maternal health agenda.
- The scheme provides cash subsidies (₹5,000 for the first child, ₹6,000 for a second girl child) via Direct Benefit Transfer.
- It is now part of Mission Shakti’s Samarthya component, enhancing convergence and impact.
- Over 4.05 crore women benefitted and more than ₹19,000 crore were disbursed by the end of 2025.
- Digital monitoring through PMMVYSoft enables real‑time tracking and grievance redressal.
Detailed Insights
Launched on 1 January 2017 under the National Food Security Act, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) is a centrally sponsored initiative administered by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Its primary aim is to offset partial wage loss for pregnant and lactating mothers, encourage institutional deliveries, and curb maternal‑infant malnutrition by linking cash assistance to the consumption of nutrient‑rich meals at Anganwadi centres.
Financial assistance is disbursed in two parts for the first birth (₹3,000 at registration after one antenatal check‑up, and ₹2,000 after the child’s birth and completion of mandatory UIP vaccinations). For a second child, a single instalment of ₹6,000 is released only if the child is a girl, reflecting the scheme’s gender‑equity incentive.
In 2022, PMMVY was incorporated into Mission Shakti’s Samarthya pillar, a move that synchronised it with broader women‑empowerment efforts, improved monitoring efficiency, and facilitated tighter fund tracking. The programme follows a Centre‑State cost‑sharing model: 60:40 for most states, 90:10 for Northeastern and Special Category States, and 100 % central funding for Union Territories without legislatures.
By December 2025, the scheme had reached more than 4.05 crore beneficiaries and transferred upwards of ₹19,000 crore, making it one of the largest cash‑transfer programmes aimed at maternal health. The launch of the PMMVYSoft platform in March 2023 introduced a robust digital dashboard that allows administrators at national, state, district, block, and village levels to monitor enrolments, payments, and grievances in real time.