Correct Answer: B. 1000 for mother and 400 for ASHA
The Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), launched in 2005 by the Government of India, is a safe motherhood intervention scheme aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality by promoting institutional delivery. The scheme provides cash assistance to pregnant women and incentives to ASHA workers who mobilize them for delivery at government health facilities or accredited private institutions. In urban areas (including urban Madhya Pradesh), the cash assistance structure is clearly defined: the mother receives ₹1000 for institutional delivery, and the ASHA worker who motivated and facilitated the delivery receives ₹400 as an incentive. This differentiated payment reflects the scheme's dual objective—direct financial support to reduce out-of-pocket costs for the mother and performance-based incentive to ASHA workers for their role in demand generation and community mobilization. The urban scheme differs from the rural variant, where mothers receive ₹600 and ASHA workers receive ₹600. Understanding this urban–rural distinction is critical for PSM examinations, as questions often test knowledge of scheme-specific variations across geographical settings.
Why the other options are wrong
A. 600 for mother and 400 for ASHA — This reflects the rural JSY payment structure, not the urban variant. The ₹600 for mother is the rural benefit; urban mothers receive ₹1000. This is a common trap—students confuse rural and urban JSY rates. While the ASHA incentive of ₹400 is correct for urban areas, the maternal benefit is underestimated. C. 400 for mother and 600 for ASHA — This inverts the correct payment structure entirely. The mother's benefit is far lower than intended, and the ASHA incentive is overstated. This option may trap students who remember that ₹400 and ₹600 are JSY-related figures but reverse their allocation. The scheme prioritizes direct maternal support over worker incentive. D. 1400 for mother and 600 for ASHA — This inflates both payments beyond the actual urban JSY structure. While ₹1000 for the mother is correct, adding ₹400 to get ₹1400 is incorrect. The ASHA incentive of ₹600 applies only in rural areas. This option may trap students who conflate rural and urban rates or add components incorrectly.
High-Yield Facts
- Urban JSY cash assistance: Mother receives ₹1000, ASHA receives ₹400 for institutional delivery in urban areas.
- Rural JSY cash assistance: Mother receives ₹600, ASHA receives ₹600—different from urban structure.
- JSY launched: 2005 as a safe motherhood scheme to reduce maternal mortality by incentivizing institutional delivery.
- ASHA role in JSY: Community mobilization and demand generation; receives performance-based incentive only when mother delivers at accredited facility.
- Urban vs. rural distinction: JSY payment structure varies by geography; urban areas have higher maternal benefit (₹1000 vs ₹600) but equal ASHA incentive (₹400).
Mnemonics
Urban JSY: 1-4 Rule 1000 for mother, 400 for ASHA in urban areas. Remember '1-4' as the urban code. Rural JSY: 6-6 Rule 600 for mother, 600 for ASHA in rural areas. Equal split of ₹600 each.
NBE Trap
NBE pairs 'urban area' with JSY to test whether students confuse rural and urban payment structures. The presence of ₹600 (rural maternal benefit) in option A is a deliberate distractor for students who default to rural rates without reading the urban context carefully.
Clinical Pearl
In Indian urban settings, JSY remains a critical tool for reducing institutional delivery barriers among low-income primigravidas. The ₹1000 maternal benefit often covers transport and basic facility costs, while the ₹400 ASHA incentive ensures sustained community engagement—a model that has contributed to India's rise in institutional delivery rates from ~40% (2005) to >80% (2020).
_Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine (Edition 26), Chapter on National Health Programs; Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, JSY Guidelines 2005 (revised 2010)._