The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing Centrally Sponsored Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) under which maternity benefits of ₹5,000/- is being provided in three instalments to Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) for the first child upon fulfilment of certain conditionalities. In order to receive the maternity benefit under PMMVY, a beneficiary is required to provide her and her husband’s Aadhaar details which are captured in the database.

There is no such requirement under other schemes meant for mother or pregnant women being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The PMMVY is implemented in all States/Union Territories, except Odisha and Telangana. The seasonal migrants can avail the benefits of the scheme from any of the State/Union Territory implementing the scheme.

Further, for registration under the scheme, the beneficiary is, inter-alia, required to submit her and her husband's written consent for availing the maternity benefits.

The Development & Monitoring Evaluation Office of NITI Aayog has evaluated the centrally sponsored schemes of Ministry of Women & Child Development including PMMVY and its recommendations have been considered. Accordingly, it is envisaged that the written consent and the aadhaar of husband not to be a mandatory criteria in the modified guidelines of PMMVY component under Mission Shakti in order to facilitate inclusion of single mother and abandoned mother.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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