Janani Suraksha Yojana: Overview

Janani Suraksha Yojana: Overview

Question: Good governance involves the formulation and implementation of welfare schemes that can impact women and children. Provide an overview of the Janani Surkasha Yojana in this context.

- Janani Suraksha Yojana is a centrally sponsored scheme

- It is being implemented for reducing maternal and infant mortality

- It promotes institutional delivery among pregnant women

- Under the Janani Suraksha Yojana, eligible pregnant women are given cash assistance regardless of the mother and number of children for birth in government or accredited private health facility

- Scheme is for the welfare of poor pregnant women and there is special provision for states with low institutional delivery rates namely UP, Uttarakhand, MP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Odisha and J&K.

- States have been named Low Performing States as per the scheme while remaining states and union territories have been named High Performing

- Scheme also provides performance based incentive to lady healthy volunteers called as ASHA(Accredited Social Health Activist) for promotion of institutional delivery among pregnant women

- Cash entitlement is for different packages, which are as follows:

- ASHA package of INR 600 in rural areas; this is inclusive of INR 300 for ANC component and INR 300 for facilitating institutional delivery

- ASHA package of INR 400 in urban areas include INR 200 for the ANC component and INR 200 crore for institutional delivery

- Cash assistance for home delivery is also provided under this scheme. Cash assistance amounting to INR 500 per delivery is regardless of the number of children and age of the mother

- Direct Benefit Transfer mode of payment has been launched in 43 districts with effect from 2013 and in 78 districts towards the end of this year.

- Instructions have been given to states/UTs regardless of DBT mode of payment throughout the nation in all districts

- Eligible pregnant women will get JSY benefit directly into their bank account

Facts and Stats

- Number of JSY beneficiaries has risen from 7.38 lakh beneficiaries in 2005-2006 to 104.38 lakh in the current year

- This is an indicator of high awareness levels among pregnant women regarding this scheme

- Around 9 lakh ASHA workers have received performance based incentives under the scheme for motivating women to give birth in a health facility

- Of the total number of beneficiaries under this scheme, a large majority of around 87% come from rural areas