Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is set to launch the Thaaimaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam on Monday, a welfare scheme under which eligible newborns delivered at government hospitals will receive a one-gram gold ring.
The scheme, which is being rolled out across Tamil Nadu, is aimed at encouraging institutional deliveries and strengthening public confidence in government healthcare facilities. Vijay is scheduled to launch the programme at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai and present gold rings to 25 newborns.
He is also expected to visit the maternity ward and hand over rings to babies born at the hospital on the day.
What Is The Thaaimaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam?
Under the scheme, every eligible baby born in a government hospital will be given a one-gram, 22-carat gold ring. The rings will be distributed to beneficiaries when they are discharged from the hospital.
The scheme is applicable to newborns whose mothers are permanent residents of Tamil Nadu. Beneficiaries must also be registered under the Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) system and have a Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) ID.
The government has said the rings will have unique serial numbers and will be supplied in tamper-proof packaging to ensure transparency in distribution.
How Much Has Tamil Nadu Allocated For The Scheme?
The Tamil Nadu government has earmarked an annual budget of Rs 755.83 crore for the programme. In the first phase, around 1.28 lakh gold rings have been prepared for distribution.
The scheme will cover the state, with the exception of areas under the Maduranthakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies, where bypolls are scheduled for October 6.
A district-level monitoring committee headed by the respective Collector has also been formed to supervise implementation, maintain inventory records and monitor distribution.
Why Has Tamil Nadu Introduced The Gold Ring Scheme?
Government sources said the initiative is intended to encourage families to opt for deliveries at government hospitals and increase public trust in state-run healthcare services.
Tamil Nadu records around 7.80 lakh births each year, while 99.9 per cent of deliveries take place at healthcare institutions, according to the government’s reference to NFHS-6 data. Around 4.20 lakh deliveries, or 53 per cent, take place in government hospitals.
The government has also said that around 90 per cent of government institutional deliveries are conducted at Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) centres.
When Was The Scheme Announced?
The scheme was originally scheduled to be launched on September 15, coinciding with the birth anniversary of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C N Annadurai. However, the launch was postponed because Vijay was travelling to London.
A Government Order formally notifying the implementation of the scheme was issued on June 23. Work orders for supplying the one-gram gold rings have been issued to Joyalukkas and Kalyan Jewellers, according to the source material. The programme is being described as a key pre-poll promise of the ruling TVK.
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