As skyrocketing gold prices make it increasingly difficult for Indian families to afford gold, the Tamil Nadu government launched its ‘Thaaimaman Thanga Mothiram’ (Maternal uncle’s gold ring) scheme. Under the scheme, the state government will gift gold rings to infants born in state-run hospitals.
Inaugurating the project at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on September 28, 2026, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay gifted 22-carat, one-gram gold rings to over 30 infants.
According to official reports, the state government has earmarked Rs 755.83 crore for the scheme. Babies born to native mothers on or after June 22, 2026, in state-run hospitals are eligible for the gold ring.
The TVK government has faced criticism over allegations that the scheme is a political gimmick to woo women voters and could place an additional financial burden on the state treasury. The purchase of a single ring would cost around Rs 14,000 at current market prices. According to reports, the government is planning to procure over 4,40,000 rings in the first phase of the scheme.
TVK has presented the scheme as an extension of a Tamil tradition in which a maternal uncle welcomes a newborn with gifts. The initiative, however, also includes measures linked to maternal health and could be aimed at addressing the state’s declining fertility rate.
Tracking maternal health
Pregnant women who are permanent residents of Tamil Nadu can apply for the scheme. The initiative also lays down conditions aimed at ensuring that women receive proper medical care throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.
As per the eligibility criteria, the mother of the newborn must be registered under the state’s Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) system.
Through PICME registration, the government can track pregnant women from the beginning of pregnancy until the newborn’s birth certificate is obtained. Apart from serving as a data repository, the portal helps women access medical care through local healthcare workers.
The second major criterion is that mothers must obtain a Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) ID after registering on the official RCH portal. The Union government provides this 12-digit ID to pregnant women to monitor maternal, newborn and child health services in India. The ID is essential for accessing check-ups, scans and delivery services at government hospitals.
PICME and RCH registration are mandatory for accessing maternity schemes, including financial assistance schemes offered by both the state and Union governments.
This means that women who receive medical care through government healthcare facilities can claim the ‘Thaaimaman’ ring scheme for their children.
The scheme could, therefore, help reduce the likelihood of women missing out on essential medical care during pregnancy and childbirth.
Safe institutional deliveries
The scheme comes amid the state government’s plans to introduce legislation that would make home births and deliveries conducted outside medical institutions punishable. A 32-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur district died on June 28, 2026, from severe postpartum haemorrhage after attempting a home birth. Similar cases have been reported in various parts of India, with some women attempting home births after watching YouTube videos.
Apart from the influence of social media, some women, particularly in rural and tribal areas, are reluctant to seek medical care and instead opt for home births. Such practices could increase maternal and infant mortality rates.
One of the key conditions for applicants under the scheme is that the child must be born in a state-run hospital. This requirement also encourages families to opt for institutional deliveries, where they can access maternal and neonatal healthcare services.
Along with promoting institutional deliveries, the state government aims to boost public confidence in the healthcare system. While inaugurating the scheme, the Chief Minister said that families could save an average of Rs 68,500 by choosing government hospitals for delivery.
Debate on improving fertility rate
Although the TVK introduced the scheme as an electoral promise, the Vijay-led government’s efforts to improve the state’s fertility rate are also linked to the initiative.
According to official data, Tamil Nadu’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen below 1.4, significantly lower than the replacement level of 2.1 required to maintain a stable population.
The proportion of elderly people in the state has also been steadily increasing, with those aged 60 and above currently accounting for about 16 per cent of the population. This figure is projected to reach 20 per cent by 2036, meaning nearly one in every five residents will be a senior citizen.
The state government’s concerns over the declining fertility rate came into the spotlight when the Union government’s plan to introduce a delimitation Bill in Parliament was being debated. There are concerns that if the delimitation Bill is passed, southern states, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala, with their relatively low populations, could lose representation in Parliament.
When India adopted family planning measures to control population growth, most states implemented a two-child policy. However, Tamil Nadu is now encouraging families to have three children as part of its efforts to improve the fertility rate and population growth.
In August, the state government increased maternity leave for female state government employees having a third child from 12 weeks to 365 days with full pay. As per the Union government’s policy, employees are entitled to 180 days of paid maternity leave, irrespective of the number of children.
Recently, Tamil Nadu became the first state in India to initiate measures to integrate infertility care into its family welfare programme. As part of this initiative, infertility treatment and preconception counselling will be extended to government district headquarters hospitals.
Considering these efforts by the TVK government, the ‘Thaaimaman Thanga Mothiram scheme’ can also be viewed as a pro-natalist initiative aimed at encouraging childbirth while promoting maternal healthcare.
