The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India has declined to 113 in 2016-18 from 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016, according to report released by the Office of the Registrar General’s Sample Registration System (SRS).

• One of the key indicators of maternal mortality is the MMR, defined as the number of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births.
• The target of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births.The MMR of various States according to the bulletin includes Assam (215), Bihar (149), Madhya Pradesh (173), Chhattisgarh (159), Odisha (150), Rajasthan (164), Uttar Pradesh (197) and Uttarakhand (99).The southern States registered a lower maternal mortality ratio — Andhra Pradesh (65), Telangana (63), Karnataka (92), Kerala (43) and Tamil Nadu (60).

“Maternal mortality in a region is a measure of reproductive health of women in the area. As per the World Health Organization, maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management,” 

Under the directions of the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, a Committee was constituted on 14.06.2020 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Vinod Paul to submit a report on Containment Strategy on COVID-19 for Delhi. Dr. Paul’s report was placed before a meeting chaired by the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah.
​The main points of the Containment Strategy determined by Dr. Paul are as follows:

• Revised demarcation of containment zones and a strict monitoring and control of activities in such containment zones.
• Contact Tracing and Quarantining of Contacts of all infected persons, with the help of Aarogya Setu and Itihas Aap.
• Listing and monitoring of each household even outside containment zones, which will help in getting comprehensive information about Delhi.
• Keep the COVID19 positive cases in hospitals, Covid care centres or home isolation. Proper functioning of Covid care centres and taking the help of voluntary organizations/NGOs in this regard.

The Government of India in a gazette notification issued on 04th June 2020, has set up a Task Force to examine matters pertaining to age of motherhood, imperatives of lowering MMR, improvement of nutritional levels and related issues.The Task Force to be headed by Ms. Jaya Jaitly will submit its report by 31st July, 2020 It will suggest suitable legislations and/or amendments in existing laws to support its recommendations; and also work out a detailed roll-out plan with timelines to implement these recommendations

• Union Finance Minister, during her Budget Speech for 2020-21 in the Parliament stated that “Women’s age of marriage was increased from fifteen years to eighteen years in 1978, by amending erstwhile Sharda Act of 1929.
  
• As India progresses further, opportunities open up for women to pursue higher education and careers. There are imperatives of lowering MMR as well as improvement of nutrition levels. 

The Terms of Reference of the Task Force are as follows:

1. To examine the correlation of age of marriage and motherhood with (a) health, medical well-being and nutritional status of mother and neonate/infant/child, during pregnancy, birth and thereafter, (b) key parameters like Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Total Fertility Rate (TFR), Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB), Child Sex Ratio (CSR) etc. and (c) any other relevant points pertaining to health and nutrition in this context.
2. To suggest measures for promoting higher education among women.
3. To suggest suitable legislative instruments and/or amendments in existing laws to support the recommendations of the Task Force.​