Impact, Challenges, Opportunities: A Literature Review of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in addressing Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition in India

Abstract

The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) is an important conditional cash transfer (CCT) scheme launched by Government of India in 2017 to provide additional financial support to pregnant and lactating mothers focused on increment in the consumption of nutrition. This literature review aims to integrate the existing research evidence of the impact, challenges, and opportunities (ICO) of PMMVY on maternal and child health outcomes and nutrition status across different states and regions in India. The methodology involved a systematic search and screening of peer-reviewed articles, reports, and guidelines from reputed academic databases and organizational websites. The final review included a total of twenty-one relevant studies utilizing quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method approaches. The findings indicates that PMMVY has increased the utilization of key maternal and child health services like
antenatal care visits, institutional deliveries, and on time childhood immunization rates. However, the evidence of impact on maternal and child nutrition outcomes remained mixed, where some studies reported positive effects, while others found no significant contribution in improvement. The review highlights execution challenges encountered like delays in cash transfers, exclusion of eligible beneficiaries, and poor monitoring and grievance redressal mechanisms. After the review, recommendations are provided for enhancing the scheme's effectiveness,such as streamlining the cash transfer process, increasing the transfer amount and
number of instalments, integrating complementary interventions, strengthening awareness, and improving monitoring and evaluation efforts. The review underscores the need for continued research and policy interventions to address remaining gaps in maternal and child health in India.