Report On the Study Of The Indira Gandhi MatritvaSahyogYojna

The quick pace of India’s economic growth over the past few decades has failed to translate into the well being of many of its people, especially women and children. India ranks 55th out of 76 countries on the Global Hunger Index 2014. The healthcare indicators are equally, or perhaps more, worrisome. Out of every 1,00,000 live births in a year, 178 women die as a result of complication during pregnancy. Similarly, infant mortality rate indicated in the latest SRS Statistical Report 2013 shows that 40 infants out of every 1,000 live births die within the first year and 52.5 per cent of these deaths are of infants less than seven days of age. It is amid this context that the National Food Security Act (NFSA) was passed in September 2013. However, the implementation deadline for the NFSA has been extended thrice since its passage already- from 5th July 2013 to 4th October 2014, subsequently to 4th April 2015, and presently up to 30th September 2015. Out of these, the last two extensions are actually in violation of the law as these were given by the government without making amendments to the NFSA. The expected implementation in 90 per cent of the states by June 2015 as stated by the Food Minister is only in reference to the implementation of TPDS. It still remains unclear how the provision for maternity entitlements will be implemented, which is the second largest entitlement under NFSA after subsidised food grains in terms of budget requirements. This study on the existing provision of cash transfers for maternity entitlements by the central government informs the design and implementation of a universal scheme to fulfil the obligations under the NFSA.