What is the main aim of Janani Suraksha Yojana of National Health Mission?
- (a)Reducing maternal and neonatal mortality
- (b)To encourage people to use safe sexual methods
- (c)To provide pensions to widow women
- (d)To provide shelters to poor people
Correct — A, reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), launched in 2005 under the National Rural Health Mission (now the National Health Mission), is a safe-motherhood intervention. It gives cash assistance to poor pregnant women who deliver in a government or accredited health facility, so that skilled, hygienic institutional deliveries replace unsafe home births — thereby cutting maternal and newborn (neonatal) deaths.
- (b)To encourage people to use safe sexual methods — Promoting safe sexual practice is a family-planning/reproductive-health goal, not the aim of JSY.
- (c)To provide pensions to widow women — Widow pensions come under the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme, not JSY.
- (d)To provide shelters to poor people — Housing/shelter for the poor is the aim of housing schemes (e.g. PMAY), not JSY.
JSY is a fully centrally sponsored, conditional cash-transfer scheme under the National Health Mission. By paying eligible mothers (and the ASHA workers who accompany them) for institutional delivery, it targets the biggest drivers of maternal and infant death — unsafe home births and the absence of a skilled birth attendant.
Scheme-to-aim matching is common. Anchor JSY -> institutional delivery -> lower maternal & neonatal mortality. Do not confuse it with Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (free care for mothers and sick newborns) or PMMVY (maternity cash benefit for wage loss).
- JSY launched 2005 under NRHM (now NHM), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
- A conditional cash transfer promoting institutional delivery among poor pregnant women.
- Aim: reduce the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and neonatal/infant mortality.
- ASHA workers are the key link, earning incentives for facilitating deliveries.
- Confusing JSY (cash for institutional delivery) with Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (free care) and PMMVY (wage-loss maternity benefit)
- Assuming JSY is a State scheme — it is centrally sponsored under the NHM
MPPSC/UPSC ask JSY's objective or 'which statements about JSY are correct' (see UPSC 2012 & 2023). Anchor: cash -> institutional delivery -> lower MMR/neonatal mortality.
The endeavour of 'Janani Suraksha Yojana' Programme is 1. To promote institutional deliveries 2. To provide monetary assistance to the mother to meet the cost of delivery 3. To provide for wage loss due to pregnancy and confinement Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer(a) 1 and 2 only
UPSC 2012 on JSY's endeavour — promotes institutional delivery plus cash assistance, the same aim of cutting maternal/neonatal deaths.
Consider the following statements in relation to Janani Suraksha Yojana : 1. It is a safe motherhood intervention of the State Health Departments. 2. Its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among poor pregnant women. 3. It aims to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women. 4. Its objective includes providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age. How many of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) Only three
- (d) All four
Answer(b) Only two
UPSC 2023 on JSY — confirms its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by promoting institutional delivery among poor women.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Janani Suraksha Yojana was launched under which mission and year?
- (a)National Rural Health Mission, 2005
- (b)ICDS, 1975
- (c)Swachh Bharat Mission, 2014
- (d)MGNREGA, 2006
Answer(a) National Rural Health Mission, 2005.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The frontline community health worker who accompanies pregnant women for institutional delivery under JSY is the:
- (a)ASHA
- (b)BLO
- (c)Patwari
- (d)Anganwadi supervisor
Answer(a) ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) — the NHM's frontline worker.