Tamil Nadu to launch one‑gram gold ring scheme for newborns on Sept 28

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is set to launch a scheme providing one-gram gold rings to newborns on September 28, the state government said on Friday.The government has procured 1.28 lakh gold rings for the first phase of the programme. The rings will be distributed to babies born at government-run hospitals across the state.

Each ring will carry a distinct serial number and be packed in tamper-proof packaging, according to an official government statement.The Thaimaaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam (Maternal Uncle Gold Ring Scheme), is a key pre-poll promise of the ruling TVK. Gold rings will be provided at the time of discharge of beneficiaries from the hospitals.The scheme will cover all districts except Chengalpattu and Tiruppur.

These two districts include the Maduranthakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies, respectively, where bypolls are scheduled for October 6.Eligibility criteriaUnder the eligibility criteria, the mothers of newborns must be permanent residents of Tamil Nadu to receive the benefit.They must also be registered under the Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) system and possess a Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) identification card.The identity card is issued following registration.A look at arrangements to distribute gold rings by TN govtFor the scheme, the state government invited tenders to procure 4.41 lakh 22-carat gold rings carrying 916 hallmark certification.

The rings are planned to be distributed to beneficiaries in four phases. The first phase covers 1.28 lakh rings from the total procurement planned under the scheme.Appropriate arrangements have been made to distribute gold rings in 107 centres to children born in government hospitals between June 22 -- the CM's birthday-- and the scheme's launch date, at a rate of 100 children per day.The government said that the scheme not only increases public trust in government healthcare services but also promotes safe delivery practices in hospitals.A Government Order on the implementation of the scheme was notified on June 23, 2026.The announcement on launch date follows a review meeting chaired by the chief minister at the Secretariat in which Health Minister KG Arunraj, Chief Secretary M Saikumar, DGP Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal and several other top officials took part.The Tamil Nadu government estimates that around 7.80 lakh children are born in the state every year.

Data from the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) shows that 99.9% of these births take place in healthcare facilities.Of the total deliveries, around 4.20 lakh, or 53%, are conducted at government hospitals. About 90% of these deliveries take place at Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) Centres.Why was the launch postponed?The one-gram gold ring programme was initially planned for launch on September 15, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Dravidian leader CN Annadurai.

However, the launch was postponed as Vijay travelled to the UK as part of efforts to attract investments to Tamil Nadu.