Relevance: GS I (Population) & GS II (Health) | Source: The Indian Express / Lancet Report

1. What is the Big News?

• The Good News: Since 1990, India has done a tremendous job in saving mothers’ lives during childbirth. Deaths dropped from over 1 lakh per year to around 24,700 today.
• The Worry: A new global report (The Lancet) shows our speed of improvement has slowed down. Because of this, India is at risk of missing the United Nations’ health target set for the year 2030.

2. The Basics: How do we measure this?

To understand the data, you just need to know one term for your exams:

• Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR): This simply means the number of mothers who die due to pregnancy or childbirth complications per 1,00,000 (1 lakh) successful live births.

3. The Numbers

There is a slight difference between what the world says and what our government says. 

The Target / Report	MMR Score	What it means for India
Global 2030 Target	Below 70	This is the ultimate finish line we must cross.
India’s Official Data (SRS)	88	The government’s own data shows we are getting very close!
The Lancet Study	116	Global researchers think we are still quite far behind.

4. The Ground Reality: Why are mothers still dying?

If our medical system is growing, where are we failing?

• The State Divide: South Indian states have excellent healthcare and have already achieved the 2030 target. But the national average is pulled down by states like Assam and Uttar Pradesh, where village hospitals are weak.
• Easily Curable Problems: Almost half of the mothers die just because of heavy bleeding or high blood pressure during delivery. These do not need big, expensive city hospitals; they can be easily cured at the village clinic if a trained nurse is present.
• The Population Factor: Because India’s population is so massive, even a small percentage of complications results in thousands of actual deaths.

5. Government Action

The government is already running powerful schemes to fix this:

• Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): Giving poor families cash rewards so they bring pregnant women to hospitals for delivery instead of trying it at home.
• PMSMA (Matritva Abhiyan): A guarantee that on the 9th of every month, pregnant women will get high-quality, free health checkups.
• SUMAN: A strict rule that no government hospital can deny service or charge money to a pregnant woman.

6. The Way Forward 

To finally cross the 2030 finish line, experts suggest:

• Upgrade Village Clinics: We must spend money to equip our rural Primary Health Centres (PHCs) with basic emergency medicines and blood banks.
• Train Local Workers: Empower the local ASHA and Anganwadi workers to catch high-risk pregnancies early.
• The Education Link: When girls are educated, they marry at the right age, have fewer children, and space their pregnancies better. This naturally keeps the mother much safer.

UPSC Value Box

Key Term	Simple Meaning for Exam
MMR (Maternal Mortality Ratio)	The standard way to measure mothers’ safety: Deaths per 1,00,000 live births.
SDG 3.1	The United Nations’ global goal to bring the MMR below 70 by the year 2030.

With reference to maternal health and demographic measurements in India, consider the following statements:

1. The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is calculated as the number of maternal deaths per 1,000 live births in a given time period.
2. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1 aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births by 2030.
3. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) guarantees free antenatal care checkups to pregnant women on the 9th of every month.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (b)