Tamil Nadu launches gold ring scheme for newborn babies

Dubai: Authorities in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu distributed free gold rings to newborn babies in government hospitals on Monday under an initiative intended to strengthen public confidence in the state healthcare system.

Under the scheme launched by C. Joseph Vijay, the actor-turned-chief minister of Tamil Nadu, newborns in government health facilities are eligible to receive a one-gram gold ring worth about $143.

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The state government calls the programme the Thaaimaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam, or Maternal Uncle Gold Ring Scheme.

Gold holds particular significance in Indian society, featuring prominently in weddings and religious ceremonies and widely regarded as a secure store of wealth that can be passed from one generation to the next.

“The gold ring will give the child something valuable to keep for the years ahead,” said one mother, who declined to give her name, at a government hospital in the Madurai region.

She was among dozens of mothers holding their newborn babies while waiting in line to receive the gift.

“I feel this initiative has a personal touch,” another mother, Stella Mary, told AFP.

Officials say the initiative is intended to highlight maternal and newborn care while strengthening confidence in public healthcare institutions in the southern state, which has a population of more than 72 million.

The Tamil Nadu government says one of the programme’s objectives is to increase deliveries in government hospitals and further strengthen public trust in state medical institutions.

The initiative has, however, drawn criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, which sits in opposition in Tamil Nadu.

Tamilisai Soundararajan, a BJP member, said in a social media post that while the gesture of giving a gold ring to a newborn might be welcomed, families had a more pressing need for reliable access to basic nutrition each day.

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