Tamil Nadu Chief Minister launches free gold ring scheme for newborns

Thaimaman gold ring scheme in Tamil Nadu: How to apply, who is eligible

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay launched the Thaimaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on September 28, extending a one-gram gold ring benefit to eligible newborns delivered in government health institutions across the State.

The scheme, also described as the maternal uncle gold ring scheme, is meant for babies born in government hospitals across Tamil Nadu.

It applies retrospectively from June 22, which is Mr. Vijay’s birthday, and the one-gram gold ring scheme was inaugurated by the Chief Minister on September 15, 2026.

What is the Thaimaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam?

The Thaimaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam is a welfare scheme under which the Tamil Nadu government will provide a one-gram gold ring to newborn babies delivered in the State’s government health institutions.

The rings distributed under the scheme will be BIS hallmarked.

Each ring will carry the logo of the Tamil Nadu government, an image of CM Vijay, and the name of the scheme.

The scheme is therefore linked directly to deliveries taking place in government-run health facilities, rather than to all births in the State.

Who is eligible?

All newborns delivered in government health institutions in Tamil Nadu on or after June 22, 2026, are eligible for the gold ring.

The mother must be a resident of Tamil Nadu.

She must also be registered under the PICME, or Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation, system of the State government.

The mother must possess a Reproductive and Child Health ID, or RCH ID.

The scheme covers both boy and girl children.

A baby born in a private hospital cannot receive the gold ring, because only babies born in government-run health institutions are covered.

Is a separate application form needed?

Beneficiaries are not required to fill out a separate application form under the scheme.

Eligible newborns will receive the benefit through the health institution where the delivery is taking place.

This means the process is tied to the hospital’s verification of the delivery and the mother’s registration and eligibility details.

How to avail the scheme

The pregnant woman must register under the PICME system and obtain an RCH ID.

The delivery of the baby must take place in a government health institution in Tamil Nadu.

After the birth, the mother must submit the prescribed residence proof and other required documents for verification.

Hospital authorities will verify the delivery records, PICME details, RCH ID, and eligibility conditions.

After verification, the newborn will receive the one-gram gold ring.

Documents required

The documents required for the scheme include the PICME registration number.

The RCH ID is also required.

The hospital discharge summary or delivery records must be provided.

To prove place of residence as Tamil Nadu, any one of the listed documents is required.

These documents include Aadhaar card, ration card, voter ID card, identity card issued by Labour Welfare Board, Proof of Address Card issued by Department of Posts, or nativity certificate.

Will each gold ring be unique?

Each gold ring distributed under the scheme will have a Government of Tamil Nadu logo.

Each ring will also have a unique serial number for tracking purposes.

The source also states that the rings will be BIS hallmarked and will bear an image of CM Vijay and the name of the scheme.

What will the scheme cost?

According to an order issued by the State government on June 23 this year, ₹755.83 crore will be earmarked annually to implement the scheme.

The gold rings would be procured for 4,41,667 government hospital deliveries.

This annual financial commitment is tied to the expected number of deliveries in government health institutions.

Why the scheme matters

Tamil Nadu records approximately 7.8 lakh deliveries in a year, according to the National Family Health Survey-6.

Institutional deliveries constitute around 99.9% of all births in the State, according to the same source.

Government health facilities account for nearly 4.4 lakh deliveries, or around 53%, of the State’s annual deliveries.

Of the approximately 4.4 lakh annual deliveries recorded at government health facilities across Tamil Nadu, medical college hospitals account for 54%.

District and sub-district hospitals account for 37% of these government-facility deliveries.

Primary health centres account for 9% of these deliveries.

The eligibility design therefore places the benefit within Tamil Nadu’s public health system, where nearly 4.4 lakh deliveries are recorded annually.

The scheme also depends on existing public health documentation, including PICME registration, RCH ID, hospital delivery records, and proof of Tamil Nadu residence.

For families seeking the benefit, the key conditions are that the mother must meet the residence and registration requirements, the child must be born in a government health institution in Tamil Nadu, and the birth must be on or after June 22, 2026.

Source: The Hindu