Key Central Government Health and Nutrition Schemes and Policies

The Central Government executes health and nutrition interventions through targeted schemes designed to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenditure, combat stunting and anemia, and build public health infrastructure across rural and urban centers. These policies follow a life-cycle approach, supporting beneficiaries from early childhood and maternal stages to secondary and tertiary hospital care. Managed primarily by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), these initiatives align public health delivery with universal health coverage goals.

Ayushman Bharat Framework: Universal Health Coverage Initiatives

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

PM-JAY represents the world’s largest government-funded health assurance scheme, launched on September 23, 2018. It provides a health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to bottom economic strata identified through the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data. The scheme offers cashless and paperless access to services at empanelled public and private hospitals across India.

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs)

Formerly known as Health and Wellness Centres, Sub-Centres and Primary Health Centres are converted into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to deliver Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC). These centers expand basic maternal and child health services to include screening and management for non-communicable diseases, mental health care, eye and ENT care, and free essential medicines and diagnostic tests.

PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM)

PM-ABHIM is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with an total outlay of ₹64,180 crore for the period FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26. It focuses on developing capacities of primary, secondary, and tertiary health systems to prepare India for future pandemics and public health emergencies.

• Block Public Health Units: Constructs 3,382 Block Public Health Units (BPHUs) across states to strengthen rural disease surveillance.
• Integrated Public Health Labs: Establishes 730 District Integrated Public Health Labs (IPHLs) to provide affordable diagnostic facilities in every district.
• Critical Care Blocks: Constructs 602 Critical Care Hospital Blocks (CCBs) in districts with a population exceeding 5 lakh to manage emergency cases locally.

National Nutrition Strategies and Maternal-Child Support

Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0

Poshan 2.0 is an Integrated Nutrition Support Programme that restructured Anganwadi Services, POSHAN Abhiyaan, Scheme for Adolescent Girls, and the National Crèche Scheme under the 15th Finance Commission cycle (2021-22 to 2025-26). It focuses on maternal nutrition, Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices, treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), and the integration of AYUSH wellness systems.

PM POSHAN Scheme

The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN), previously known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, provides hot cooked meals to school children in Class 1 to 8 in government and government-aided schools. It targets improving nutritional status among children while increasing enrolment, retention, and attendance in primary education.

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY 2.0)

PMMVY is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) maternity benefit scheme under Mission Shakti, implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It provides financial incentives to pregnant women and lactating mothers to offset wage loss and promote health-seeking behavior.

• First Child Benefit: Provides ₹5,000 in two installments upon pregnancy registration, antenatal check-up, and child birth registration with first-cycle immunizations.
• Second Child Benefit: PMMVY 2.0 provides a single cash incentive of ₹6,000 if the second child is a girl, promoting positive social attitudes toward the girl child.

Targeted Disease Prevention and Immunization Programs

Mission Indradhanush and U-WIN Portal

Launched in December 2014, Mission Indradhanush aims to cover partially vaccinated and unvaccinated children up to two years of age and pregnant women against vaccine-preventable diseases. Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) targets hard-to-reach urban slums and low-coverage pockets. The digitised U-WIN platform tracks routine immunizations, generates digital certificates, and logs vaccine administration in real time.

Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Strategy

Formulated under the National Nutrition Strategy, Anemia Mukt Bharat targets reducing anemia prevalence across six beneficiary age groups through six institutional interventions and six institutional enablers (known as the 6x6x6 strategy).

• 6 Target Groups: Children (6-59 months), children (5-9 years), adolescents (10-19 years), pregnant women, lactating women, and women of reproductive age (15-49 years).
• 6 Interventions: Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation, deworming, campaigns against non-nutritional causes, digital testing, mandatory iron fortification, and addressing fluorosis.

National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP)

NTEP aims to eliminate tuberculosis in India by 2025, five years ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2030 target.

• Ni-kshay Portal: A web-based patient management system for tracking TB cases, drug adherence, and treatment outcomes across public and private health sectors.
• Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana: Provides a direct benefit transfer of ₹500 per month to registered TB patients for the full duration of their anti-TB treatment to support nutritional needs.

Institutional Architecture of Key Health Schemes

Key Facts for Quick Revision

• PM-JAY Launch Date: September 23, 2018; administered at the national level by the National Health Authority (NHA).
• PM-ABHIM Investment: Allocated an overall outlay of ₹64,180 crore over the 2021-22 to 2025-26 period.
• PMMVY Girl Child Incentive: PMMVY 2.0 awards a single ₹6,000 payment for the birth of a second child only if the infant is a girl.
• TB Elimination Target: India aims to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025 under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program.
• U-WIN Platform Purpose: Serves as the central digital registry for tracking routine immunizations for pregnant women and children.
• Anemia Mukt Bharat 6x6x6 Model: Deploys 6 target beneficiary groups, 6 strategic interventions, and 6 institutional mechanisms.
• Ni-kshay Poshan Benefit: Delivers ₹500 monthly through direct benefit transfer (DBT) to every TB patient undergoing treatment.
• PM POSHAN Administrative Ministry: Managed by the Ministry of Education (Department of School Education and Literacy).