**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 2083 in Lok Sabha, set to be answered on December 12, 2025, regarding the National Midwifery Programme (NMP). The Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides updates on the program's impact and measures taken to strengthen midwifery initiatives in India. The document highlights improvements in maternal and infant mortality rates and institutional births.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Positive Outcomes of the National Midwifery Programme (NMP)**
* Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) decreased from 97 to 88 per lakh live births between SRS 2018-20 and SRS 2021-23.
* Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) declined from 32 to 25 per 1000 live births between SRS 2018 and SRS 2023.
* Institutional births increased from 78.9% (NFHS-4) to 88.6% (NFHS-5), indicating improved access to quality maternity care.
* **Government Initiatives to Strengthen Midwifery**
* Establishment of Midwifery-Led Care Units (MLCUs) to promote quality, respectful, and women-centered maternity care.
* Establishment of National Midwifery Training Institutes (NMTIs) and State Midwifery Training Institutes (SMTIs) to conduct regular training of Midwifery Educators (MEs) and Nurse Practitioner Midwives (NPMs).
* Release of guidelines such as Mentoring Guidelines, Operationalization of MLCUs, and Learning Resource Packages for MEs and NPMs.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder**: Mothers and Infants
* **Impact**: Improved maternal and child health outcomes, reduced maternal and infant mortality, increased access to quality and dignified maternity care services.
* **Action Required**: None explicitly stated.
**Stakeholder**: Healthcare Providers (Midwifery Educators, Nurse Practitioner Midwives)
* **Impact**: Access to regular training through NMTIs and SMTIs to enhance their skills and knowledge.
* **Action Required**: Participate in training programs and implement the guidelines to improve midwifery practices.
**Stakeholder**: Government of India (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
* **Impact**: Improved health indicators and increased institutional births.
* **Action Required**: Continue implementing proactive measures and providing resources to strengthen midwifery initiatives in the country.
Key Entities Referenced
National Midwifery Programme (NMP): A national initiative focused on reducing maternal and infant mortality and improving maternity care.
National Health Mission (NHM): A Government of India initiative under which proactive measures are undertaken to strengthen Midwifery initiatives.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The government body responsible for overseeing health and family welfare initiatives, including the National Midwifery Programme.
Midwifery-Led Care Units (MLCUs): Public health facilities established to promote quality, respectful, and women-centered maternity care as part of the National Midwifery Programme.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2083
TOBE ANSWERED ON12TH DECEMBER, 2025
NATIONALMIDWIFERYPROGRAMME
†2083SHRIDARSHAN SINGH CHOUDHARY:
Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased tostate:
(a) whether it is a fact that the National Midwifery Programme(NMP) has achieved positive
results inreducing maternaland infant mortality, promoting normal delivery, reducing the
rate of unnecessary C-sections and ensuring dignified maternity services and if so, the
detailsthereof;
(b) whether due to negligence and the failure in organising new training camps, the
programme has not beenoperated asscheduledandif so, the detailsthereof;
(c) whether the Government is working onanyspecial arrangementor plantoensure regular
implementation of this programme, timely commencement of training batches and timely
achievementof targets; and
(d) if so, the detailsthereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)
(a) The National Midwifery programme has shown positive results across key maternal and
child health indicators. The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has reduced from 97 per lakh
live births in the Sample Registration System (SRS 2018-20) to 88 per lakh live births as per
the (SRS 2021–23). The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has declined from 32 per 1000 live
births in (SRS 2018) to 25 per 1000 live births, as per (SRS 2023). Further Institutional birth
hasincreased from 78.9% in NFHS-4to 88.6% as perNFHS-5,reflecting improvedaccess to
qualityanddignifiedmaternitycare services.
(b) to (d) Under National Health Mission(NHM) , Government of India (GoI) has undertaken
following proactivemeasures tostrengthen Midwiferyinitiativesinthe country;
Establishment ofMidwifery-Led Care Units(MLCUs) inhigh–case-loadpublic health
facilitiestopromote quality,respectful, andwomen-centredmaternitycare.
Establishment of National Midwifery Training Institutes (NMTIs) and State
Midwifery Training Institutes (SMTIs) across the country to conduct regular andscheduled training of Midwifery Educators (MEs) and Nurse Practitioner Midwives
(NPMs)during theyear.
The Government of India has released various guidelines like Mentoring Guidelines,
Operationalization of MLCUs and Learning Resource Package for MEs and NPMs to
strengthen Midwifery Initiative inthe country.
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