Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay, will launch the Thaimaman Gold Ring Scheme September 28, under which every child born in a government hospital will receive a one-gram gold ring.
An official statement said the Chief Minister chaired a review meeting at the Secretariat Friday to assess preparations for the launch and implementation of the welfare scheme.
The government said it had accorded high priority to improving maternal and child healthcare through financial assistance for pregnant women, free delivery and newborn care, emergency obstetric treatment, nutritional support and advance planning for institutional deliveries.
The Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation software is also being used for integrated monitoring of pregnant women and infants.
These initiatives have contributed to a significant improvement in the state’s maternal and child health indicators, the statement said.
The Thaimaman Gold Ring Scheme was announced to strengthen public confidence in government medical services and honour newborn children. It also reflects the traditional role of the maternal uncle in Tamil culture.
Under the scheme, all eligible babies born in government hospitals on or after June 22, 2026, will receive a one-gram gold ring.
The government order authorising the scheme was issued June 23. Tamil Nadu records around 7.80 lakh births annually.
According to the National Family Health Survey-6, nearly 99.9 per cent of deliveries in the state take place in hospitals.
Government hospitals account for around 4.20 lakh deliveries, or 53 per cent of the total. Nearly 90 per cent of government hospital deliveries are conducted at Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care centres.
The government said the figures highlighted the vital contribution of the public healthcare system towards ensuring safe deliveries and healthy newborns.
Each gold ring distributed under the scheme will carry a unique serial number and be supplied in tamper-proof packaging.
A total of 1.28 lakh rings have been procured in the first phase. Mothers permanently residing in Tamil Nadu will be eligible for the benefit, provided they are registered on the PICME portal and possess a Reproductive and Child Health identification number.
Special arrangements have been made at 107 designated hubs to distribute rings to children born between June 22 and the formal launch.
Each hub will serve up to 100 children daily from September 28. Thereafter, rings will be handed over to eligible newborns when they are discharged from government hospitals.
