• Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a safe motherhood intervention under the National Health Mission launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2005.

• Objective: It is being implemented with the objective of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality by promoting institutional delivery among poor pregnant women. JSY integrates cash assistance with delivery and post-delivery care. 
• The scheme is under implementation in all states and Union Territories (UTs), with a special focus on Low Performing States (LPS). 
• Cash assistance: Under the JSY, eligible pregnant women are entitled for cash assistance irrespective of the age of mother and number of children for giving birth in a government or accredited private health facility. BPL pregnant women, who prefer to deliver at home, are entitled to a cash assistance of Rs 500 per delivery regardless of age of women and the number of children.
• Focus: The scheme focuses on the poor pregnant woman with special dispensation for States having low institutional delivery rates namely the States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Rajasthan, Orissa and Jammu and Kashmir. While these States have been named as Low Performing States (LPS), the remaining States have been named as High performing States (HPS).
• The other steps taken/being taken by the Government under JSY for reduction of infant and maternal mortality rates in the county are as under:

• Exclusion criteria of age of mother as 19 years or above and up to two children only for home and institutional deliveries under the JSY have been removed and eligible mothers are entitled to JSY benefit regardless of any age and any number of children.
• BPL pregnant women, who prefer to deliver at home, are entitled to a cash assistance of Rs 500 per delivery regardless of age of women and the number of children.
•  The Yojana enables the States/UTs to hire the services of a private specialist to conduct Caesarean Section or for the management of Obstetric complications, in the Public Health facilities, where Government specialists are not in place.
• States are encouraged to accredit private health facilities for increasing the choice of delivery care institutions.

Why in the news?

Institutional deliveries reported by the States/UTs under Janani Suraksha Yojana during the period from April to December, 2019 is 1.54 Crore in comparison to 1.33 Crore for the corresponding period for the current year i.e. from April to December, 2020 as reported in Health Management Information System (HMIS).

References:

1. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1602361 
2. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1575157