In India, every third woman is undernourished, and even after these the financial and social challenges force the women to work until the later period of pregnancy, causing strain which is not advisable.
These compulsions make the women start working soon after childbirth, which not only affects them because the body is not ready but also impacts breastfeeding thereby causing malnutrition in children.
In view of this, a Maternity Benefits Programme launched called Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) is a maternity benefit program implemented by the government of India (Ministry of Women and Child Development) in all the districts nationwide in accordance with the provision of the National Food Security Act, 2013.
Under the PMMVY a cash incentive of ₹ 5000 is provided in 3 installments to the pregnant women and lactating mothers that is transfer directly to their bank accounts to meet enhanced nutritional needs and partially compensate for wage loss.
In also addition, the remaining cash incentive of ₹ 1000/- is provided under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) after institutional delivery.
The scheme is applicable for the first living child of the family for fulfilling the specific maternal and child health conditions.
The scheme is not applicable to Odisha & Telangana because these states have their own schemes, better than PMMVY.
Eligible beneficiaries Women
- All Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers excluding those who are in regular employment with the Central Government or the State Governments or in Public Sector Units (PSUs), and those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force.
- All those pregnant women and lactating mothers are eligible for the benefit who have their pregnancy on or after 1st January 2017 for the first child of the family.
The date and stage of pregnancy for a beneficiary would be counted with respect to her Last Menstrual Period (LMP) date as mentioned in the Mother and Child Protection (MCP) Card.
Benefits under PMMVY
- Cash incentives of ₹ 5000 in three installments i.e. first installment of ₹ 1000/- on early registration of pregnancy at the Anganwadi Centre (AWC)/ approved Health facility as may be identified by the respective administering State/ UT, the second installment of ₹ 2000/- after six months of pregnancy on receiving at least one ante-natal check-up (ANC) and the third installment of ₹ 2000/- after child-birth is registered and the child has received the first cycle of BCG, OPV, DPT and Hepatitis-B, and its equivalent or substitute.
- The eligible beneficiaries would receive the incentive given under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) for Institutional delivery and the incentive received under Janani Suraksha Yojana would be accounted towards maternity benefits so that on an average a woman gets ₹ 6000/-.
What happened in the case of Miscarriage or Still Birth and in the case of Mortality?
In the case of Miscarriage/ Still Birth
A beneficiary woman is eligible to receive benefits under the scheme only one time. But In the case of miscarriage or still-birth, the beneficiary would be eligible to claim the remaining installment/installments in event of any future pregnancy. So, after receiving the 1st installment, if the beneficiary has a miscarriage, she would only be eligible for receiving 2nd and 3rd installment in event of future pregnancy subject to fulfillment of eligibility criterion and conditionalities of the scheme.
Similarly, if the beneficiary has a miscarriage or still-birth after receiving 1st and 2nd installments, she would only be eligible for receiving 3rd installment in event of future pregnancy subject to fulfillment of eligibility criterion and conditionalities of the scheme.
In the case of Infant Mortality
Under the case beneficiaries is also eligible to receive benefits under the scheme only one time.
It means, in case of infant mortality, she will not be eligible for claiming benefits under the scheme if she has already received all the installments of the maternity benefit under PMMVY earlier. Pregnant and Lactating AWWs/ AWHs/ ASHA may also avail of the benefits under the PMMVY subject to the fulfillment of scheme conditionalities.
The registration process of PMMVY
A beneficiary can apply for the scheme only within 730 days from the date of her Last Menstrual Period (MP) subject to the eligibility condition of the scheme. The LMP registered in the MCP card will be treated as the Date of Pregnancy under the scheme respect.
On another side in cases where LMP date is not recorded in MCP Card, and the beneficiary is coming for the claim of the third installment under the scheme, the claim in such cases must be submitted within 460 days from the date of birth of child beyond which period no claim shall be entertained.
Steps for the online procedure for availing Maternity Benefits Under PMMVY
- Visit https://pmmvy-cas.nic.in and login to the PMMVY software using the scheme facilitator’s (AWC/approved health facility) login details.
- Click on the ‘New Beneficiary’ button for registering under the scheme by filling in the details as per the Beneficiary Registration Form called Application Form 1A. Thereafter, the beneficiary can follow the instructions provided in PMMVY CAS user manual for filling the form.
- Then after six months of pregnancy, again login into the PMMVY CAS software and click on the ‘Second Instalment’ button and fill Form 1B following the instructions given in the user manual.
- Then after the birth of the child and the completion of the child’s first cycle of immunization of CG, OPV, DPT, and Hepatitis B, log in into the PMMVY CAS software and click on ‘Third Instalment’ button and fill Form 1C following the instructions given in the user manual.
Steps for the offline procedure for availing Maternity Benefits Under PMMVY
The eligible beneficiary women who want to avail maternity benefits under the scheme, the need to register for the scheme at an Anganwadi Centre (AWC), or at a government-approved government health facility, whichever is the implementing department for that particular State or Union Territory. The registration must be done within 150 days of LMP.
1. The application form can be obtained from the AWC or government-approved health facility free of cost or be downloaded from the web portal of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The applicant should obtain an acknowledgment of registration from the implementing authority for future references.
2. The beneficiary woman can claim the 2nd installment of the incentive after 6 months of pregnancy by submitting the duly filled Form 1B at the AWC or government-approved health facility along with a copy of the MCP card showing at least one Antenatal Check-up (ANC) and a copy of acknowledgment slip Form 1A. And the 2nd installment can be claimed post 180 days of pregnancy.
3. Thereafter, for claiming 3rd installment, the beneficiary is required to submit duly filled up Form 1C along with a copy of child-birth registration, ID proof and MCP card showing that the child has received the first cycle of immunization of CG, OPV, DPT, and Hepatitis B. The applicant is also required to show a copy of acknowledgment slip Form 1A and Form 1B. The applicant needs to submit a copy of Aadhaar card at this stage Aadhaar in all states except for Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), Assam, and Meghalaya.
Documents Required for Registration:
- Duly filled Application Form 1A.
- Copy of MCP card.
- Copy of Identity Proof.
- Copy of Bank or Post Office Account Passbook.
- An undertaking or consent duly signed by the applicant and her husband.
Leave a Reply