Q. What is Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram?

Ans: JSSK is a Government of India scheme launched on 1st June 2011 under NRHM, entitling all pregnant women at government facilities to completely free maternity care such as delivery, medicines, diagnostics, diet, blood, and transport. Sick newborns up to 30 days are also covered (MoHFW JSSK Guidelines, 2011).

Q. What is the objective of Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram?

Ans: JSSK aims to eliminate all out-of-pocket expenses for pregnant women and sick newborns at government healthcare centres.

Q. Who is eligible for JSSK?

Ans: Any pregnant lady who delivers at any government healthcare centre in India, regardless of income. Sick newborns up to 30 days are also covered. No BPL card or registration required (MoHFW JSSK Guidelines, 2011).

Q. Under which mission does JSSK operate?

Ans: JSSK operates under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), a sub-mission of the National Health Mission (NHM), implemented across all states and union territories.

Q. What is the JSSK helpline number?

Ans: National Health Helpline: 104, available 24 hours in local languages. Ayushman Bharat helpline: 14555. Visit nhm.gov.in for state-specific facility information.

Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK): Complete Guide 2026

Q: Q. What is the difference between Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram?

Ans: JSY is a cash incentive scheme encouraging institutional delivery. JSSK is a universal entitlement scheme making all delivery-related services free at government facilities. JSY brings women to the hospital; JSSK ensures everything there is free.

Objective of Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram

In spite of the success of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) in promoting institutional deliveries, women continued to be charged for medicines, diagnostics, diet and transport at Government hospitals. The out-of-pocket expenses by the government institutions were not uncommon and were huge.

The Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram's aim was to remove all such outgoings. Compared to JSY, which offered cash rewards to the institutional births, JSSK ensured that the delivery was completely free, from entry till discharge. After the launch of the National Health Mission (NHM), programmes such as Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and later the Ayushman Bharat Yojana collectively contributed towards improving maternal and child health outcomes across India.

Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram- Key Highlights

Feature	Details
Full Name	Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram
Launched By	Government of India, MoHFW
Launch Date	1st June 2011
Launch Location	Mewat District, Haryana (MoHFW JSSK Guidelines)
Operates Under	National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)
Target Beneficiaries	Pregnant women and sick newborns up to 30 days
Coverage	All government health facilities across India
Newborn Coverage	Up to 30 days after birth
Premium Cost	Nil, completely free
Key Entitlements	Free delivery, medicines, diagnostics, blood, diet, transport
C-Section Coverage	Free at government facilities
Helpline	104 / 14555

Who Benefits from Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram

JSSK is universal, meaning there are no income restrictions, no ration cards, and no registration. It covers:

All pregnant women who deliver at Government Sub-Centres, PHCs, CHCs, District Hospital or Medical Colleges.
Government facilities: All pregnant women who need a caesarean section.
All newborns who are ill and need treatment within 30 days of being born at government facilities
NRHM beneficiaries in rural areas and NUHM beneficiaries in urban areas.

JSSK benefits are automatically extended to every eligible woman delivering at a government health facility. Medical records generated during treatment can also be linked with an ABHA Card or ABHA ID Card, where available, to support continuity of care across healthcare facilities.

What Does Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram Cover

The following are confirmed in the official JSSK Guidelines as per the MoHFW, Maternal Health Division, 2011:

For Pregnant Women:

Entitlement	Details
Delivery	Free normal delivery and caesarean section
Medicines and Consumables	Free throughout stay
Diagnostics	Free blood tests, urine tests, ultrasonography
Blood	Free wherever required
Diet	3 days for normal delivery, 7 days for C-section
Transport	Home to facility, between facilities, drop back home
User Charges	Exemption from all kinds of user charges

For Sick Newborns up to 30 Days:

Entitlement	Details
Treatment	Free and zero expense
Medicines and Diagnostics	Free drugs, consumables, and tests
Blood	Free wherever required
Transport	Home to facility, between facilities, drop back home
User Charges	Exemption from all kinds of user charges

Difference Between Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram

Feature	Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)	Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK)
Type	Cash incentive scheme	Entitlement and service scheme
What it provides	Cash to mother for institutional delivery	Free services at government facility
Income Criteria	Yes — BPL preference	No — universal
Newborn Coverage	No	Yes — up to 30 days
Launched	2005	2011

JSY aims to take pregnant women to the hospitals for better care. JSSK facilitates that the delivery at the hospital becomes absolutely free. Both JSY and JSSK fall under NRHM and are thus interrelated and directly associated with each other as per the MoHFW JSSK Guidelines, 2011.

How JSSK Connects to Other Schemes

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): Cash payment for institutional delivery, this program directly assists JSSK working side by side.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY): A cash transfer scheme offering an amount of 5,000 for pregnant and lactating women that goes along with free facility-based delivery through JSSK.
Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Yojana (SUMAN): Ensuring quality and respectful treatment during delivery in government facilities; this goes well with the entitled service under JSSK.
Nikshay Poshan Yojana: Pregnant women suffering from TB who are under JSSK would also be eligible to receive 1,000 in nutritional support per month from this scheme.
Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN): For high-risk pregnancies that may cost more than what the facilities can afford, RAN offers support of up to 15 lakhs at the government's super-speciality hospitals.
Ayushman Arogya Mandir: As part of theAyushman Bharat Yojana, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs provide antenatal check-ups, routine maternal healthcare and referrals for institutional delivery under JSSK. Health records can also be linked with the beneficiary's ABHA Card (ABHA ID Card) to enable seamless access to digital health records.

JSSK Helpline and Support

Support Type	Details
National Health Helpline	104 (24 hours, local languages)
Ayushman Bharat Helpline	14555
Official NHM Portal	nhm.gov.in
MoHFW Portal	mohfw.gov.in
Grievance Redressal	Complaint boxes and help desks at all government health facilities (MoHFW JSSK Guidelines)

Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, implemented under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) as part of the National Health Mission (NHM), removes the single biggest barrier that remained after JSY which was informal charges at government hospitals. JSSK ensures cashless maternity care and Newborn Care to all deliveries at every public facility. JSSK provides completely free delivery with access to drugs, diagnostics, diet, blood and referral services & travel costs as well.

Newborn care under JSSK is available free of cost for up to 30 days after birth at public health facilities. Together with Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Yojana (SUMAN), Ayushman Arogya Mandir, Nikshay Poshan Yojana, PMJAY, and the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, JSSK forms an important part of India's maternal and child healthcare ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. What is Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram?

Ans: JSSK is a Government of India scheme launched on 1st June 2011 under NRHM, entitling all pregnant women at government facilities to completely free maternity care such as delivery, medicines, diagnostics, diet, blood, and transport. Sick newborns up to 30 days are also covered (MoHFW JSSK Guidelines, 2011).
Q. What is the objective of Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram?

Ans: JSSK aims to eliminate all out-of-pocket expenses for pregnant women and sick newborns at government healthcare centres.
Q. What is the difference between Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram?

Ans: JSY is a cash incentive scheme encouraging institutional delivery. JSSK is a universal entitlement scheme making all delivery-related services free at government facilities. JSY brings women to the hospital; JSSK ensures everything there is free.
Q. Who is eligible for JSSK?

Ans: Any pregnant lady who delivers at any government healthcare centre in India, regardless of income. Sick newborns up to 30 days are also covered. No BPL card or registration required (MoHFW JSSK Guidelines, 2011).
Q. Under which mission does JSSK operate?

Ans: JSSK operates under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), a sub-mission of the National Health Mission (NHM), implemented across all states and union territories.
Q. What is the JSSK helpline number?

Ans: National Health Helpline: 104, available 24 hours in local languages. Ayushman Bharat helpline: 14555. Visit nhm.gov.in for state-specific facility information.

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