Vijay launches gold ring scheme for newborns: Cost, eligibility and significance
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday launched a scheme to give eligible newborns a one-gram gold ring at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai.
He presented rings to 25 babies at the hospital auditorium and another 10 in the maternity ward.
The Thaaimaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam, or Maternal Uncle Gold Ring Scheme, was a key election promise of Vijay’s TVK. The government has allocated Rs 755.83 crore a year for it.advertisement❮❯ Read Full StoryWHY IS IT CALLED 'MATERNAL UNCLE SCHEME'?Thaaimaman means maternal uncle in Tamil. The name refers to the custom of a maternal uncle giving a newborn a gold ring or another gift.
Under the scheme, the state takes on that symbolic role.
The government says the programme is also intended to encourage families to use public healthcare facilities for childbirth. It estimates that about 4.2 lakh of Tamil Nadu’s 7.8 lakh annual births take place in government hospitals.WHAT WILL EACH NEWBORN RECEIVE?
Each eligible baby will receive a ring made from one gram of 22-carat gold. The ring will carry a unique serial number and be supplied in tamper-proof packaging.
The scheme covers babies born to permanent residents of Tamil Nadu at government hospitals and primary health centres.
Their mothers must be registered under the Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) system and have a Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) ID.
The rings will be given when the mother and baby are discharged from hospital.DOES IT COVER BABIES BORN BEFORE LAUNCH?
Yes. The scheme applies to eligible babies born from June 22, 2026, although Vijay formally launched it on September 28.
The rollout excludes areas within the Maduranthakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies for now, as bypolls are scheduled there on October 6.HOW MANY RINGS HAS GOVERNMENT ARRANGED?
The government has issued work orders for an initial 1,28,499 rings to cover births from June to September. It plans to procure 4,41,667 rings for the year.
The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation has placed 70 per cent of the initial order with Joyalukkas and 30 per cent with Kalyan Jewellers.
The cost will depend on the prevailing gold price. The government has estimated the initial order at around Rs 220 crore. District-level committees headed by collectors will oversee inventory and distribution.- Ends
