The Government of India has reported significant progress in its maternal and child nutrition initiatives. As of July 2025, more than 72.22 lakh pregnant women are registered beneficiaries under Mission Poshan 2.0, while the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) has provided maternity benefits to over 4.05 crore women since its launch on January 1, 2017.
These programmes aim to improve maternal health, reduce malnutrition, and ensure that expectant and new mothers receive adequate nutrition and healthcare support.
Key Achievements
- Mission Poshan 2.0: 72.22 lakh pregnant women registered as beneficiaries through the Poshan Tracker system.
- PMMVY: 4.05 crore beneficiaries provided with maternity benefits till 31 July 2025.
Maternal Health Initiatives Under NHM
The National Health Mission (NHM) supports multiple interventions to improve maternal health and nutrition, including,
- Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN): Assured, free, and respectful maternal and newborn care at public health facilities.
- Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK): Free deliveries, including C-sections, with transportation, medicines, diagnostics, and diet.
- Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA): Fixed-day monthly antenatal check-ups by specialists.
- Extended PMSMA Strategy: Tracking high-risk pregnancies with financial incentives for additional check-ups.
- Optimizing Postnatal Care: Early detection of danger signs in postpartum mothers with ASHA incentives.
- Village Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Day (VHSND): Maternal and childcare services in convergence with ICDS.
- Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) Supplementation & Deworming: To reduce anaemia in mothers.
- Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB): Six interventions targeting anaemia reduction among women and children.
Mission Poshan 2.0 – Nutrition Services
Mission Poshan 2.0 integrates Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan, and schemes for adolescent girls under a life cycle approach.
Supplementary Nutrition,
- 600 calories, 18–20 g protein, plus micronutrients
- Provided as Take-Home Ration (THR) for 300 days annually
- Target groups: Children (6 months–6 years), pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls
Technology for Transparency – Poshan Tracker & FRS
- Poshan Tracker App (launched March 1, 2021) enables near real-time monitoring of beneficiaries and services in 24 languages.
- Facial Recognition System (FRS) mandatory since 1 July 2025 for THR distribution to ensure benefits reach only registered beneficiaries.
- Beneficiary Module: Allows women to check services received and access counselling videos on pregnancy care, breastfeeding, and nutrition.
- SMS Alerts: Sent on registration and THR delivery.
Grievance Redressal and Capacity Building
Toll-Free Helpline 14408: Multi-lingual support for grievance redressal under Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, PM CARES, and PMMVY.
Training Programmes,
- 41,402 State & Local Master Trainers trained
- 5,81,326 Anganwadi Workers trained under Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi initiative.
Special Focus – Tribal Areas
Under the PM JANMAN Mission, 2,500 Anganwadi Centres have been approved for construction in areas inhabited by Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) to ensure nutrition access for tribal mothers and children.
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