UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Union Health Minister Shri J.P. Nadda Launches Nationwide Celebrations to Mark “10 Years of PMSMA – A Decade of Care”

Q1. With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), consider the following statements regarding its design features. Which of the following is/are NOT correct?

1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development under the umbrella of Mission Shakti.
2. Free antenatal care is provided on the 9th day of every month, symbolising the nine months of pregnancy.
3. The scheme primarily targets pregnant women in their first trimester for early registration.
4. Private sector obstetricians and gynaecologists are encouraged to voluntarily provide services at designated government health facilities.

• A. 1 and 3 only
• B. 2 and 4 only
• C. 1, 2 and 3 only
• D. 2, 3 and 4 only

Q2. With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) and the allied scheme Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN), consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. PMSMA, launched in 2016, provides fixed-day antenatal care on the 9th of every month to women in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters at public health facilities.
2. SUMAN, launched in 2019, assures dignified, respectful and free maternal and newborn healthcare with zero tolerance for denial of services, broadening the scope beyond fixed-day ANC.
3. Extended PMSMA (e-PMSMA) provides financial incentives to identified high-risk pregnancy (HRP) women and to the accompanying ASHA for additional follow-up visits.

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 2 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. With reference to maternal health indicators and related schemes in India, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2018-20, India's Maternal Mortality Ratio declined to 97 per 1,00,000 live births.
2. India has already accomplished the National Health Policy target of reducing MMR to less than 100 per 1,00,000 live births.
3. The Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 target requires India to reduce its MMR to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births by 2030.
4. Under the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, free antenatal care is provided to pregnant women in their first trimester on the 9th of every month.

• A. 1, 2 and 3 only
• B. 1, 3 and 4 only
• C. 2 and 4 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. With reference to the measurement and reporting of India's maternal health indicators, which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

1. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is expressed as the number of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births.
2. The Sample Registration System (SRS) is the official source for periodic estimates of MMR in India.
3. According to the UN MMEIG 2020 report, India's MMR declined from 384 in 2000 to 103 in 2020.
4. An 'institutional delivery' is officially defined as any delivery conducted at home under the supervision of a trained ASHA worker.

• A. 1 only
• B. 2 only
• C. 3 only
• D. 4 only

Q5. Among the following maternal-health interventions of the Government of India, which one was the FIRST to introduce conditional cash assistance to pregnant women for promoting institutional delivery?

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

Q6. With reference to the Extended Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (e-PMSMA) strategy as compared with the original PMSMA, consider the following statements: 1. e-PMSMA provides financial incentives to identified High-Risk Pregnant women and the accompanying ASHA for three additional visits over and above the regular PMSMA visit. 2. Under e-PMSMA, the number of PMSMA sessions that may be organised in a month can be increased up to a maximum of four. 3. With the launch of the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) initiative, the fixed-day antenatal services of PMSMA were discontinued and subsumed under SUMAN. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. e-PMSMA provides financial incentives to identified High-Risk Pregnant women and the accompanying ASHA for three additional visits over and above the regular PMSMA visit.
2. Under e-PMSMA, the number of PMSMA sessions that may be organised in a month can be increased up to a maximum of four.
3. With the launch of the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) initiative, the fixed-day antenatal services of PMSMA were discontinued and subsumed under SUMAN.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. With reference to the institutional architecture of the National Health Mission (NHM) and its sub-components, consider the following statements: 1. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was launched in 2005, while the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) was launched in 2013 as the other sub-mission of NHM. 2. Under the Extended PMSMA (e-PMSMA), Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are given financial incentives for accompanying identified high-risk pregnant women for three additional antenatal visits over and above the PMSMA visit. 3. SUMAN (Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan) was launched as a successor scheme that has replaced PMSMA as the maternal-health intervention under NHM. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was launched in 2005, while the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) was launched in 2013 as the other sub-mission of NHM.
2. Under the Extended PMSMA (e-PMSMA), Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are given financial incentives for accompanying identified high-risk pregnant women for three additional antenatal visits over and above the PMSMA visit.
3. SUMAN (Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan) was launched as a successor scheme that has replaced PMSMA as the maternal-health intervention under NHM.

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 2 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. In the 31 July 2016 episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', private sector obstetricians/gynaecologists were urged by the Prime Minister to volunteer their services under the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) for how many days in a year?

• A. 6 days
• B. 9 days
• C. 12 days
• D. 24 days

Q9. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), under which private practitioners are encouraged to volunteer their services at public health facilities, is implemented 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

Q10. As per the latest United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG) report 'Trends in Maternal Mortality 2000-2023', which one of the following regions accounted for the largest share of global maternal deaths?

• A. Sub-Saharan Africa
• B. Central and Southern Asia
• C. Latin America and the Caribbean
• D. South-Eastern Asia and Oceania

Q11. Consider the following statements regarding the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 3.1 on maternal mortality: 1. It mandates reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by the year 2030. 2. It also stipulates that no country should have a maternal mortality ratio of more than 140 per 100,000 live births. 3. It was adopted from the 'Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM)' strategy developed by the World Health Organization and partners. 4. It is tracked exclusively by the World Health Organization, with no involvement of UNICEF, UNFPA or the World Bank in producing the official estimates. Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. It mandates reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by the year 2030.
2. It also stipulates that no country should have a maternal mortality ratio of more than 140 per 100,000 live births.
3. It was adopted from the 'Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM)' strategy developed by the World Health Organization and partners.
4. It is tracked exclusively by the World Health Organization, with no involvement of UNICEF, UNFPA or the World Bank in producing the official estimates.

• A. 1, 2 and 3 only
• B. 1, 2 and 4 only
• C. 1, 3 and 4 only
• D. 2, 3 and 4 only