MADURAI: Authorities in India’s Tamil Nadu state gave babies born in government-run hospitals a free gold ring on Monday, an initiative aimed at boosting confidence in the public healthcare system.

Under the scheme launched by actor-turned-Chief Minister Vijay, all babies born in public health facilities in the state are eligible for a one-gram gold ring, worth some $143. Gold has immense cultural significance in India, featuring prominently in weddings and religious ceremonies, and seen as a safe generational asset.

“The gold ring would give the child something valuable to keep for the years ahead,” said one mother at a government hospital in the state’s Madurai district, who declined to give her name.

She was among dozens of mothers who cradled their newborns as they queued up to receive the gift.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2026