Only 27.4 per cent of women surveyed in Gujarat received PMMVY benefits: Study

AHMEDABAD: Only 27.4% of women surveyed across nine districts in Gujarat reported receiving benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), despite widespread awareness of the scheme, Aadhaar possession, bank account ownership and pregnancy registration at Anganwadi centres. Nearly eight in 10 respondents reported out-of-pocket expenses during childbirth, with average spending of Rs 16,951.

The findings were released by Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan (ASAA) following a survey of 369 women across 15 blocks in Dahod, Panchmahal, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Morbi, Bhavnagar, Vadodara, Surendranagar and Patan in June and July 2026.

Of the women surveyed, 259 (70.2%) had heard of PMMVY, but only 101 (27.4%) reported receiving benefits. Another 247 (66.9%) said they had received no money, while 20 were unsure. The study found that 35 women reported rejected applications, while 19 did not know whether their applications had been rejected.

Benefit receipt varied across districts. Bhavnagar recorded the highest rate at 47.2%, followed by Dahod at 35.5% and Vadodara at 34.8%. The rates were lower in Morbi (16.9%) and Sabarkantha (20%).

The study also found low receipt of benefits under the NAMO SHREE scheme. Only 18 women, reported as 4.8% of eligible applicants, received benefits. Of them, six received the full entitlement, while the others received amounts ranging from Rs 7,000 to Rs 10,000.

Of the 369 women surveyed, 344 (93.2%) had Aadhaar cards, 305 (82.7%) had their own bank accounts and 337 (91.3%) had registered their pregnancies at Anganwadi centres. However, many faced difficulties navigating the systems required to claim benefits.

Aadhaar one-time passwords were sent to their husbands’ mobile phones for 212 women (57.5%), while only 83 (22.5%) received them on their own numbers. Another 203 women said their bank accounts were linked to their husbands’ mobile numbers. Respondents also reported difficulties with Aadhaar corrections, opening bank accounts, updating bank details, obtaining missing documents and completing Nutrition Tracker and e-KYC requirements.

The financial burden of childbirth remained high, with 77.2% of respondents reporting out-of-pocket expenses and average spending of Rs 16,951. Of the 369 households surveyed, 113 (30.6%) relied on family resources to meet delivery expenses, while 76 (20.6%) used their savings. Another 66 (17.9%) borrowed money, and five (1.4%) sold assets. Although 85 households (23%) reported that delivery was completely free, many families continued to bear expenses.

The survey also found gaps in supplementary nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women. Among 359 respondents who expressed a preference, 165 (46%) preferred Take Home Ration (THR), while 101 (28.1%) preferred a combination of cooked meals and THR. Another 59 (16.4%) preferred hot cooked meals, while 34 expressed no preference.

In the four surveyed tribal districts of Dahod, Panchmahal, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha, 96 of the 170 women assessed for access to Poshan Sudha, a hot cooked meal service for pregnant and lactating women, reported not receiving meals. The remaining 74 said they received them. Of these, only 23 (31%) received meals daily, while 44 (59%) received them two to three days a week.

The press release also cited NFHS-6 figures for 2023–24, stating that 35.3% of children under five in Gujarat were stunted, 20.2% were wasted and 35.5% were underweight. Only 7.8% of children aged six to 23 months reportedly received an adequate diet, compared with the national average of 15.3%. It also stated that 23.6% of women aged 15–49 had a below-normal body mass index, rising to 30.1% among rural women.

ASAA has called for maternity entitlements to be treated as a universal social protection measure, with benefit amounts linked to inflation and at least to minimum wages. Its recommendations include removing age and birth-order restrictions, ensuring timely payments, providing alternatives to Aadhaar-linked and app-based processes, strengthening grievance redressal and restoring offline application routes.

The organisation has also called for regular supplementary nutrition supplies, daily hot cooked meals at Anganwadi centres, social audits and timely incentives for frontline workers who help women apply for benefits.

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