Official maternal and neonatal health passport issued jointly by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), tracking antenatal checkups (ANC), High-Risk Pregnancy (HRP) indicators, institutional delivery, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) DBT grants, and infant immunization schedules up to five years of age
The MCP Card number (and RCH ID) is legally mandatory to unlock government maternity cash transfers under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY — up to ₹6,000 DBT) and Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY — ₹1,400 to ₹1,000 for institutional delivery).
💡 The Mother and Child Protection (MCP) Card is a comprehensive, color-coded health booklet issued to every pregnant woman in India by public health workers (ANM / ASHA / Anganwadi). It serves as an official clinical record of maternal healthcare, tracking at least four antenatal checkups, Td vaccinations, iron-folic acid supplies, high-risk pregnancy markers, and hospital delivery. After childbirth, it tracks the infant's complete Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) vaccine schedule and WHO growth milestones up to 5 years of age.
Differentiating longitudinal maternal-child health records from hospital delivery slips and statutory civil registration.
| Document Type | Issuing Authority | Scope & Duration of Tracking | Primary Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mother & Child Protection (MCP) Card | MoHFW / MoWCD Maternal-Child Passport | Comprehensive maternal prenatal tracking, institutional delivery, and child vaccination up to age 5 | Longitudinal health log; mandatory for PMMVY/JSY cash transfers and Anganwadi supplementary nutrition. |
| Hospital Inpatient Discharge Summary | Obstetric Hospital Discharge Summary | Records clinical details of a single admission episode (mode of delivery: normal/C-section, baby vitals, maternal recovery) | Covers a single hospitalization event; required for mediclaim cashless settlement and delivery verification. |
| Official Birth Certificate | Civil Registration System (CRS) Certificate | Statutory legal proof of child's birth, date, place, parentage, and citizenship under RBD Act, 1969 | Legal civil identity document; does not contain medical notes or vaccination records. |
Issued immediately during the first Antenatal Care (ANC) registration at the local Anganwadi Centre, Primary Health Centre (PHC), or Sub-Health Centre (within the first trimester / 12 weeks of pregnancy).
Zero fees. 100% free statutory public health document provided by the Government of India.
Every pregnant woman in India upon confirmation of pregnancy, regardless of income, caste, or background.
All pregnant women, lactating mothers, and newborn infants across rural and urban India seeking structured maternal healthcare, institutional delivery subsidies, national immunization coverage, and nutritional support under Anganwadi/ICDS schemes.
Visit the local Anganwadi Centre or Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Sub-Health Centre) within 12 weeks of missed menstrual period to register with the ASHA or ANM.
The ANM records the Last Menstrual Period (LMP), calculates the Expected Date of Delivery (EDD), and checks blood pressure, weight, hemoglobin (Hb), and urine albumin/sugar.
The ANM fills out the physical MCP Card with the mother's details, assigns a permanent 12-digit RCH (Reproductive and Child Health) ID, and hands over the card to the family.
Bring the card to every ANC checkup, especially on the 9th of every month under the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) for specialist OB/GYN evaluation.
Carry the MCP Card to the government hospital or empaneled private hospital during labor for recording birth weight, BCG, OPV-0, and Hepatitis B birth doses.
At each monthly Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHND), present the card to the ANM to log Pentavalent, Rotavirus, PCV, MR, and Vitamin A doses.
Have the Anganwadi worker weigh the child every month and mark the reading on the green/yellow/red growth chart inside the booklet.
If your bank account changed, submit updated bank details to the Anganwadi supervisor to ensure the subsequent maternity installments credit smoothly.
Navigate to https://rch.nhm.gov.in/ or your state's mother-child tracking app (e.g., ANMOL, TeCHO, e-Kavach).
Sign in using the mother's mobile number entered at the time of Anganwadi registration.
Submit the 6-digit OTP received via SMS to access the mother and infant electronic health record.
Download the PDF copy of the digital health passport reflecting upcoming immunization due dates and JSY/PMMVY payment status.
Solutions for lost cards, missing RCH IDs, and uncredited maternal welfare benefits.
| Issue Observed | Root Cause | Actionable Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Physical MCP Card lost or damaged during relocation | 12-digit RCH ID registered on ANM's tablet or register | Visit the local Primary Health Centre (PHC); the ANM will look up your RCH ID and issue a duplicate MCP booklet with backfilled vaccine history. |
| PMMVY maternity cash transfer rejected on portal | Name spelling match between Aadhaar, Bank Passbook, and MCP Card | Submit an Aadhaar-bank account update form to the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) to reconcile payment records. |
| Private hospital pediatrician refused to stamp government MCP card | Vaccination record cross-entry | Ask the private pediatrician to write the vaccine brand, batch number, and administration date on their clinic slip, then have your local ANM enter it into the MCP card. |
Yes. The MCP Card is an individual health record. You can undergo checkups and deliver in a private hospital while continuing to update your vaccinations and growth milestones at your local Anganwadi Centre or government health post.
PMSMA is a national program held on the 9th day of every month, where specialist obstetricians, gynecologists, and radiologists provide free comprehensive antenatal checkups, including ultrasounds and blood panels, to all registered pregnant women.
Yes. The booklet contains detailed illustrated nutritional charts on exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, followed by age-appropriate complementary feeding, hygiene practices, and early childhood developmental milestones up to 5 years.
The MCP booklet includes the WHO Child Growth Standards chart (weight-for-age). If the child's weight plot falls in the green zone, growth is normal; yellow indicates moderately underweight, and red signifies severe acute malnutrition (SAM), triggering urgent nutritional rehabilitation.
National maternal-child tracking system, ANMOL mobile app guidelines, and beneficiary databases.
PMMVY operational guidelines, Anganwadi supplementary nutrition norms, and early childhood care protocols.
Official statutory medical certificate issued by a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) under National Medical Commission (NMC) regulations and Central Civil Services Leave Rules, certifying clinical diagnosis, mandatory convalescence rest, and subsequent medical fitness for resuming employment or academic duties
Official clinical synopsis and medico-legal document issued by hospitals upon completion of inpatient admission or surgery, detailing final diagnosis (ICD-10), clinical hospital course, surgical procedures performed, diagnostic findings, discharge medications, and mandatory documentation for health insurance cashless and reimbursement claim settlement
Official statutory medical concession certificate and IRCTC Divyangjan Photo Identity Card issued under Ministry of Railways rules and certified by a Government Civil Surgeon, enabling persons with benchmark disabilities and their accompanying escorts to avail 50% to 75% rail travel fare concessions across express and premium trains
Official organ and tissue donation registration card issued by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, documenting an individual's voluntary pledge to donate vital organs and tissues after death under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA 1994)
Birth registration under the RBD Act: 21-day rule, delayed registration after the 2026 amendment, child name addition and downloading the certificate from the CRS portal
₹5 lakh hospital cover per eligible family per year, Ayushman Vay Vandana card for all citizens 70+, and card download by Aadhaar on beneficiary.nha.gov.in
Joint national initiative of MoHFW and MoWCD, administered through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, ANMs, and Anganwadi workers.
Reproductive & Child Health (RCH) Portal →