Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay launched a scheme to provide one-gram gold rings to eligible newborns at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on Monday, September 28. During the launch, he held several babies and presented the first rings, putting a key electoral promise into effect.

The programme is called Thaaimaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam, or the Maternal Uncle Gold Ring Scheme. Each ring weighs one gram and is made of 22-carat gold. The name draws on the tradition of a maternal uncle giving a gift to welcome a child into the family.

Who is eligible for the gold ring?

The scheme covers eligible babies born on or after June 22, 2026, in Tamil Nadu government healthcare facilities to mothers who are permanent residents of the state. That start date means the programme includes qualifying births before the formal launch in Madurai. Families seeking a ring should confirm the required records and distribution process with the government facility where the child was born.

The state has procured about 1.28 lakh rings for the initial rollout. The government has earmarked ₹755.83 crore for the programme, making its distribution across public hospitals a substantial undertaking beyond Monday’s ceremony.

Officials say the initiative is intended to honour motherhood, promote women’s health and encourage more families to choose public healthcare facilities for childbirth. Its reach will depend on how consistently eligible families can receive the rings across the state, including those whose babies were born between the June eligibility date and the September launch. Madurai police arranged five-tier security for the Chief Minister’s visit and other programmes in the city. The hospital launch marked the beginning of the scheme’s wider rollout to eligible newborns in Tamil Nadu’s government healthcare system.