States » SouthPosted at: Sep 19 2026 2:03PM


Vijay to launch free gold ring scheme for new borns in Madurai on Sep 28

Chennai, Sep 19 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay will launch the his government's flagship Thaimaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam (Maternal uncle free gold ring scheme), under which one-gram gold rings will be given to babies born in government hospitals, on September 28 in Madurai district.
The decision was taken at a high level meeting chaired by Vijay at the State Secretariat on Friday evening, in which Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Minister K G Arunraj and senior officials
of concerned departments took part.
Under the scheme, every baby born in government hospital from June 22, 2026 will be eligible for a one-gram gold ring. The government has described the initiative as a welfare measure reflecting the traditional role of the maternal uncle in Tamil culture and as part of its broader maternal and child welfare initiatives.
The scheme was originally scheduled to be launched on September 15, coinciding with the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister C N Annadurai. But it postponed due to Vijay's official overseas visit to London. The State government has now fixed September 28 as the new launch date.
The government has procured 1,28,000 gold rings in the first phase for the scheme. Each ring will weigh one gram and will carry a unique serial number. The rings will also be supplied in tamper-proof packaging as part of the system being put in place for distribution.
Women who are permanent residents of Tamil Nadu will be eligible under the scheme. Beneficiaries are required to be registered under the Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation System (PICME) and possess an RCH Identification Number.
The scheme will also cover babies born in government hospitals from June 22 until the date of its formal launch. For this purpose, arrangements have been made through 107 distribution hubs. The government has planned distribution to eligible children at the rate of 100 children a day from September 28.
For babies born in government hospitals after the scheme's launch, the gold ring is expected to be handed over when the mother and child leave the hospital. This is intended to streamline distribution and ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive the benefit without having to make a separate visit.
The government has cited Tamil Nadu's existing maternal and child healthcare infrastructure as the background for the initiative. It has pointed to services including financial assistance for pregnant women, free maternity care, newborn care, emergency obstetric services, nutritional support, birth preparedness and PICME-based monitoring.
According to the government's figures cited in reports on the scheme, Tamil Nadu records around 7.80 lakh births annually. About
99.9 per cent of deliveries take place in institutions, while around 4.20 lakh deliveries, or about 53 per cent, take place in government hospitals. Around 90 per cent of these government-hospital deliveries are reported to take place in Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) centres.
The State government has said that the initiative is intended to strengthen public confidence in government healthcare facilities, encourage institutional deliveries and reinforce its focus on maternal and child welfare.
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Tags: #Vijay to launch free gold ring scheme for new borns in Madurai on Sep 28
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