UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Nationwide Celebrations Marking a Decade of Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) begins tomorrow

Q1. Which one of the following is the nodal Union Ministry that implements the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)?

  • A. Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • B. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • C. Ministry of Rural Development
  • D. Ministry of AYUSH

Q2. In the context of the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), the 'I Pledge for 9' initiative refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A pledge by State governments to ensure at least nine antenatal check-ups for every pregnant woman
  • B. A pledge by private-sector obstetricians and gynaecologists to voluntarily provide free antenatal care services on the 9th of every month at government facilities
  • C. A pledge by ASHA workers to register every pregnancy within the first nine weeks of gestation
  • D. A pledge by the Centre to immunise every newborn against nine specified diseases within nine months of birth

Q3. Which one of the following is the flagship antenatal care (ANC) programme of the Government of India whose completion of one decade was marked on 9 June 2026 with the release of a ₹75 commemorative coin and a ₹5 postal stamp by the Union Health Minister?

  • A. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
  • B. Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK)
  • C. Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)
  • D. Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN)

Q4. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), whose nationwide decadal celebrations 'A Decade of Care' were launched on 9 June 2026, is operationalised under the National Health Mission by which one of the following Union Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • B. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • C. Ministry of AYUSH
  • D. Ministry of Rural Development

Q5. With reference to the extended PMSMA (e-PMSMA) strategy of the Government of India, consider the following statements:

  1. e-PMSMA was rolled out in January 2022 to ensure tracing and tracking of High-Risk Pregnant women until a safe delivery is achieved.
  2. Under the strategy, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) receive a financial incentive for accompanying identified high-risk pregnant women for three additional visits over and above the PMSMA visit.
  3. The Government has expanded the list of high-risk pregnancy categories from 10 to 25 for early identification and tagging with the nearest First Referral Unit.
  4. Under PMSMA, pregnant women with normal pregnancy are tagged with a red sticker, while high-risk pregnancies are tagged with a green sticker.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 2, 3 and 4 only

Q6. The e-PMSMA digital platform, which provides for the tracing, tracking and financial incentivisation of identified High-Risk Pregnancies in India, is operationalised under which one of the following?

  • A. Integrated Child Development Services of the Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • B. National Health Mission of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • C. Department of Health Research under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • D. National AYUSH Mission of the Ministry of AYUSH

Q7. Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), along with the continuum of maternal health schemes such as JSY, JSSK, LaQshya and SUMAN, is implemented by which one of the following?

  • A. Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • B. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the National Health Mission
  • C. NITI Aayog under the Aspirational Districts Programme
  • D. Ministry of AYUSH in convergence with the Department of Pharmaceuticals

Q8. In which year was the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), which entitles every pregnant woman to free delivery, including caesarean section, in public health institutions, launched?

  • A. 2005
  • B. 2011
  • C. 2016
  • D. 2019

Q9. With reference to the Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India, 2019-21 (Sample Registration System), consider the following States in the context of achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal target on Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR below 70 per lakh live births):

  1. Kerala
  2. Karnataka
  3. Haryana
  4. Tamil Nadu
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 3 and 4

Q10. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), which guarantees fixed-day free antenatal care to pregnant women on the 9th of every month, is operationalised by:

  • A. Ministry of Women and Child Development, as an umbrella component of Mission Shakti
  • B. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, under the National Health Mission
  • C. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as a vertical of Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
  • D. NITI Aayog, in convergence with the Aspirational Districts Programme

Q11. The Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) strategic approach adopted by India in 2013, under which the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) is operationalised, is built upon how many distinct thematic 'pillars'?

  • A. Three
  • B. Four
  • C. Five
  • D. Seven

Q12. With reference to the National Health Mission (NHM), the umbrella programme under which the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) is implemented, consider the following statements:

  1. The NHM was constituted by subsuming the erstwhile National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and includes the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) as a sub-mission.
  2. The RMNCH+A strategy is the only programmatic component of the NHM apart from Health System Strengthening.
  3. The RMNCH+A framework, adopted in 2013, rests on five thematic pillars.
  4. Every district in India has been notified as a High Priority District (HPD) for focused RMNCH+A interventions.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 3 only

Q13. Which one of the following is the primary indicator (3.1.1) used by the United Nations to monitor progress on Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.1?

  • A. Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel
  • B. Maternal Mortality Ratio
  • C. Antenatal care coverage (at least four visits)
  • D. Neonatal mortality rate

Q14. Which one of the following is the designated custodian United Nations agency for the Sustainable Development Goal indicator on Maternal Mortality Ratio?

  • A. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
  • B. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
  • C. World Health Organization (WHO)
  • D. UN Women