PRADHAN MANTRI MATRU VANDANA YOJANA (PMMVY)

About:

• Registration for the scheme requires an applicant to provide her husband’s Aadhaar details along with her own, affecting single women which include unwed mothers, deserted wives and widows.
  
  
• A mother seeking benefits needs to provide proof of address of her marital home, which proves challenging for a newlywed expecting a child and often residing in her natal home during pregnancy.
  
  
• While the scheme is solely for the first living child, it ironically leaves out those who are most likely to give birth to one — a newlywed woman. A mother is unable to get the compensation when she needs it the most, i.e. during the nine months of her pregnancy.
  
  
• The requirement that the applicant has to be at least 19 years old also leaves out younger brides, who hesitate in getting their marriages registered as the legal age of marriage is 18 years.
  
  
• Documentation work is likely to result in many women living on the margins, such as sex workers, women in custody, migrant and those living in post-conflict situations.