What this scheme offers
Launched in December 2005, Chiranjeevi Yojana ('scheme for long life') was Gujarat's answer to a specific, measurable problem: at the time, only 7 of the state's roughly 2,000 obstetricians were practising in the block-level hospitals that actually serve the poorest population, leaving rural and tribal women with almost no access to skilled birth attendance or emergency obstetric care. Rather than trying to train and place enough public-sector obstetricians — a slow process — Gujarat contracted private obstetricians directly, paying them a fixed package (around ₹1,795 per delivery in the original design) to deliver BPL and tribal women free of charge, including managing complications. Over a million women have delivered under the scheme since, and it's been studied by researchers at IIM Ahmedabad, WHO, and international journals as an early, influential model for public-private partnership in maternal health.
Who is eligible
- Pregnant woman from a BPL or tribal household in Gujarat.
- Delivering at a Chiranjeevi-empanelled private hospital or a participating obstetrician's facility.
- Referred through the standard government antenatal care and referral system.
Documents required
- BPL card or tribal certificate
- Aadhaar card
- Antenatal care records
- Referral slip from the government health worker/ANM, where applicable
How to apply
- Register your pregnancy for antenatal care at your local Anganwadi centre, sub-centre, or Primary Health Centre.
- Ask your ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) or health worker whether you're eligible for referral under Chiranjeevi Yojana.
- If eligible, you'll be referred to an empanelled private obstetrician/hospital for delivery.
- Present your BPL/tribal certificate and antenatal records at the empanelled facility.
- Delivery, including management of complications, is provided free of cost under the scheme's arrangement with the obstetrician.