Tamil Nadu is scheduled to launch the Thaimaaman Gold Ring Scheme at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on September 28. Under the scheme, eligible babies born in government hospitals and primary health centres will receive a one-gram gold ring. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is expected to inaugurate it.

The state government describes the scheme as a way to honour mothers and celebrate births, while encouraging deliveries in public health facilities and strengthening confidence in government maternity care.

Eligibility extends to babies born alive in government hospitals and primary health centres after noon on June 22, 2026. Although the official launch is scheduled for September 28, qualifying births since June are to be covered.

Each eligible child is to receive a one-gram, 22-carat gold ring. The government says the rings will carry unique serial numbers and be supplied in secure packaging to help prevent substitution or misuse. About 128,000 rings have been prepared for the first phase.

Rings for eligible births between June 22 and September 27 are to be distributed through 107 centres across the state. For births following the launch, the government plans to present the ring before the mother and baby are discharged from hospital.

The mother must be a permanent resident of Tamil Nadu and registered in the state’s pregnancy and child tracking system. The registration is intended to identify beneficiaries and record distribution.

Government figures cited for the scheme put annual births in Tamil Nadu at roughly 780,000, including about 420,000, or 53 percent, in government hospitals. The state has set aside ₹755.83 crore annually for an estimated 441,000 gold rings.

The first batch of about 128,000 rings was procured through the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation. Published reports say two jewellers are supplying the rings in a 70:30 split.

The scheme was initially expected to launch on September 15, but the date was moved to September 28. The inaugural venue was also changed from Usilampatti Government Hospital to Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai.

The rollout across Tamil Nadu is due to begin on September 28. How the state distributes the rings to hundreds of thousands of eligible families each year will be an important measure of its implementation.