The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) has registered 4.92 crore beneficiaries and made payments to 4.28 crore beneficiaries, totaling disbursements of Rs 20,150 crore by the end of April. India has transitioned from ‘Women’s welfare’ to ‘Women-led development’ across various sectors and institutions from 2014 to 2026, as per an official statement. The government’s lifecycle approach has enhanced women’s access to healthcare, education, nutrition, livelihoods, financial inclusion, and leadership opportunities.
The PMMVY, a maternity benefit scheme initiated in 2017, offers conditional cash transfers tied to early registration, antenatal care, and immunization to enhance maternal well-being. Notably, over 7.4 crore pregnant women underwent examination under the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), with more than 6.85 crore antenatal check-ups conducted and 1.03 crore high-risk pregnancies identified for focused monitoring.
The government emphasized the broader maternal and child health benefits associated with complementary programs, such as the introduction of digital tracking and follow-up support by PMSMA. This led to a decline in the Maternal Mortality Ratio to 88 per lakh live births for 2021–2023, down from 130 in 2014–15. Education and school infrastructure enhancements have seen significant progress, with 99.3% of schools now having access to drinking water, up from 95.72% in 2015, and 97.3% having functional girls’ toilets, up from 92.09%.
Female enrollment in schools has risen from 1.57 crore (32%) in 2014-15 to 11.93 crore (48%) presently. Between 2018–19 and 2025–26, more than 4,073 schools were upgraded, and support was provided for over 1.49 lakh ICT and digital learning initiatives, including smart classrooms. The AICTE PRAGATI Scholarship is playing a crucial role in expanding opportunities in technical education, offering 10,000 scholarships annually across diploma and degree courses since 2014–15, benefiting nearly 36 thousand girl students by 2024–25.
Financial inclusion efforts have broadened women’s access to banking and credit, thereby strengthening livelihoods and economic independence. The statement highlighted that improved access to health, nutrition, sanitation, and clean cooking fuel has enhanced dignity and quality of life. Programs supporting Self Help Groups (SHGs), entrepreneurship, and digital inclusion have significantly increased women’s economic participation. Furthermore, better access to sanitation, housing, clean fuel, and tap water has bolstered dignity, safety, and quality of life.
