Source: PIB Backgrounder, June 8, 2026

The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyaan (PMSMA), launched June 9, 2016 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, completed ten years having provided free, quality antenatal care to over 7.5 crore pregnant women, on a design so simple it became a habit: the 9th of every month, at designated government facilities.

The Design

  • Fixed-day services: specialist check-up, blood and urine tests, ultrasonography, essential medicines, nutrition counselling and birth-preparedness advice, free, every month on the 9th
  • Target group: women in the 2nd trimester (13-27 weeks) and 3rd trimester (28+ weeks)
  • Goal: at least one specialist antenatal check-up for every pregnant woman, with early identification of high-risk pregnancies
  • Private-sector volunteering: the “IPledgeFor9” campaign brought volunteer obstetricians into public facilities
  • e-PMSMA (2022): high-risk pregnancy tracking with financial incentives, SMS alerts and up to 3 follow-up visits

The Outcome Line

Maternal Mortality Ratio: 130 per lakh live births (2014-16) to 87 (2022-24, per the backgrounder), a 43-point decline. India’s SDG 3.1 target is below 70 by 2030. PMSMA works inside a scheme stack: JSY (2005) for institutional delivery incentives, JSSK (2011) for free delivery care, PMMVY (2017) for maternity benefit, SUMAN (2019) for assured dignity of care.

Mains Angle

Why the model worked: a fixed national day removed scheduling friction for both providers and beneficiaries, and specialist presence shifted high-risk detection earlier. The unfinished agenda: the MMR average hides state spreads (Kerala versus the EAG states), anaemia among pregnant women remains stubborn, and follow-through after high-risk identification depends on referral transport and FRU readiness. Way forward: publish facility-level high-risk follow-up rates, integrate e-PMSMA with U-WIN and ABDM records, and extend the fixed-day logic to postnatal care.

📌 Facts Corner — Knowledgepedia

Scheme:

  • PMSMA launched June 9, 2016 (MoHFW); fixed-day ANC on the 9th of every month
  • 7.5 crore+ pregnant women served in 10 years; e-PMSMA since 2022 for high-risk tracking

Outcomes and stack:

  • MMR: 130 (2014-16) to 87 (2022-24, per PIB backgrounder); SDG 3.1 target below 70 by 2030
  • Related schemes: JSY (2005), JSSK (2011), PMMVY (2017), SUMAN (2019)

Sources: PIB, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare