India's New Maternity Benefit Scheme (PMMVY): Scoping Potential Randomized Interventions to Improve Impact

In an attempt to improve health and nutrition outcomes among both pregnant women and lactating mothers (PW&LM) and children under 5 (U5), the Government of India (GoI) launched the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) in 2017 to provide a conditional cash transfer (CCT) of Rs. 5,000 to first-time PW&LM. While CCT’s are a common policy tool worldwide, there are still research gaps in understanding how cash transfers impact health and nutrition outcomes. Likewise, there is limited understanding of how program implementation, especially in India, contributes to program impact.

The pilot conducted both quantitative and qualitative data collection on barriers to PW&LM in a) utilizing PMMVY and b) investing in newborn health and nutrition, with the ultimate purpose of informing the design of RCTs to reduce such barriers. The project took place in partnership with NITI Aayog (GoI’s main policy think tank) and supported current World Bank efforts to strengthen health systems in Madhya Pradesh. 

This pilot is now closed, and has developed into a full randomized evaluation.