Maternal and Child Health — Prelims Strategy

Prelims Strategy

For Prelims, the strategy for Maternal and Child Health (MCH) must be fact-intensive and detail-oriented. Aspirants should focus on the following:

1
Scheme Specifics: — Memorize the launch year, primary objective, target beneficiaries, key components, and implementing ministry/agency for all major MCH schemes (NHM, JSY, PMMVY, POSHAN Abhiyaan, Mission Indradhanush, RBSK, ICDS). Pay attention to any recent amendments or expansions.
2
Key Indicators & Statistics: — Know the latest figures for MMR, IMR, U5MR (national and significant state-wise variations), stunting, wasting, underweight, and anemia (NFHS-5, SRS data). Understand what each indicator signifies. Remember the '3-2-1' mortality targets.
3
Constitutional & Legal Provisions: — Be precise about the articles (21, 39(e)&(f), 42, 47) and the specific acts (MTP Act, PCPNDT Act, JJ Act, Child Labour Act). Understand their core purpose and recent amendments.
4
Frontline Workers: — Identify the roles and responsibilities of ASHA, ANM, and AWW. Questions often test their specific functions.
5
Recent Developments: — Stay updated on new initiatives, policy changes, and reports (e.g., Ayushman Bharat integration, COVID-19 impacts, international reports from WHO/UNICEF). These are frequent current affairs hooks.
6
Comparison: — Be able to differentiate between similar-sounding schemes (e.g., JSY vs. PMMVY, NRHM vs. NUHM) based on their objectives and features. Practice MCQs with options designed to test these distinctions. Vyyuha advises creating flashcards for scheme details and regularly reviewing statistical updates to ensure accuracy.