One-gram gold ring for babies born in T.N. government hospitals

The Tamil Nadu government has allocated ₹755.83 crore annually for the implementation of the ‘Thaaimaaman Thanga Mothira Thittam’, under which a one-gram gold ring will be provided for new-born babies delivered in government hospitals in the State to parents who are permanent residents of Tamil Nadu.

According to an official release, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will inaugurate the initiative on September 15, the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai. The scheme will be applicable retrospectively from June 22, 2026, the Chief Minister’s birthday.

The initiative is part of the ‘Vetri Tamizhagam’ vision document of the TVK-led government. In the run-up to the Assembly election, Mr. Vijay had promised the scheme but the weight of the gold ring was not specified.

The release said the objective of the scheme was to honour every child born in government hospitals and their mothers. The Tamil Nadu government has been giving high priority to improving maternal and child welfare.

Several initiatives, including financial assistance for pregnant women, free delivery and newborn care services, emergency obstetric care, nutrition programmes, birth planning services, and the Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) software for monitoring and evaluation of pregnant women and children, have been successfully implemented [by the erstwhile DMK and AIADMK governments over the years]. These efforts have significantly improved maternal and child health indicators in the State, the release added.