Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday will launch the one-gram gold ring scheme, known as the Maternal Uncle Gold Ring Scheme (Thaaimaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam), for newborn babies at Government Rajaji Hospital on Monday, fulfilling an electoral promise. The welfare initiative seeks to honour motherhood, promote women’s health and encourage institutional deliveries by encouraging more families to opt for public healthcare facilities.
For the initial rollout, the Tamil Nadu government has procured 1.28 lakh gold rings, and the welfare scheme will cover eligible newborns born on or after June 22, 2026.
Read more: Vijay's TVK govt exempts Public (Law and Order) Department from the RTI Act in Tamil Nadu
Who is eligible for gold ring?
According to the Tamil Nadu government, each gold ring will have a unique serial number and will be given in tamper-proof packaging.
Mothers who are permanent residents of Tamil Nadu and have registered under Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) and obtained a Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) ID will be eligible to receive the benefit under the scheme.
To clear the backlog of babies born between June 22 and the date of the launch, the government will distribute the rings through 107 hubs across the state. The distribution will begin on September 28 at the rate of 100 babies per day per hub.
From the date of the launch, babies born in government hospitals will be given the gold ring at the time of discharge itself, according to the state government.
The government said the scheme is aimed at increasing public trust in government medical services and encouraging safe institutional deliveries. It is also expected to strengthen mother-and-child health protection and showcase the government's commitment to child welfare.
Vijay sarkar rescinds L&O RTI waiver
The ruling TVK government on Sunday withdrew the controversial order exempting the Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act following the outrage it triggered over it.
The department, which deals with, among other matters, police custodial deaths, custodial torture, and the deaths of remand prisoners, was classified as an 'Intelligence and Security Organisation' under the withdrawn order which would have kept it outside the RTI framework and restricted public access to the information it holds.
The order, dated September 21, 2026, received considerable backlash from the Opposition and alliance parties as public law and order deals with multiple subjects, including inquiry reports into opening of police fire, custody death, police torture, among other sensitive issues.
