LaQshya Scheme Certification – Current Status (Feb 2026) The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released an update on the LaQshya initiative, detailing the number of certified facilities, the recertification process, and the supervisory mechanisms in place. Key Developments 1,244 Labour Rooms and 917 Maternity Operation Theatres in public facilities are certified under LaQshya. 151 LRs and 107 MOTs have successfully undergone recertification, confirming continued compliance. The certification assessment covers >200 measurable elements across 70 standards, grouped into eight critical areas of concern. Independent assessors verify essential infrastructure – functional OT, uninterrupted water & electricity, critical equipment, and human resources. Regular supportive supervisory visits, regional/state review meetings, and CRMs ensure implementation fidelity. Important Facts & Figures Certification criteria: Overall score ≥70% for both LR and MOT, with ≥70% in each Area of Concern, Client Satisfaction, and three core standards (Privacy, Confidentiality & Dignity, Care during Delivery). An individual standard must score >50%. Eight Areas of Concern: Service Provision, Patient Rights, Inputs, Support Services, Clinical Care, Infection Control, Quality Management, Outcome. The Ministry supports states through the NHM , aligning upgrades with the IPHS 2022 . UPSC Relevance The LaQshya update illustrates several themes frequently examined in the UPSC syllabus: Centre‑State coordination: Health is a State subject, yet the Union Ministry provides policy direction, funding, and monitoring through NHM and IPHS. Quality assurance mechanisms: Use of independent assessors, measurable standards, and periodic reviews reflects governance models for service delivery. Public health infrastructure: Data on certified LRs and MOTs helps gauge progress towards universal maternal health coverage, a key indicator in Sustainable Development Goals. Policy implementation challenges: Bridging gaps in infrastructure, staffing, and equipment requires multi‑pronged strategies, relevant to GS3 (Health) and GS4 (Ethics – accountability). Way Forward To sustain and expand the gains of LaQshya, the following steps are recommended: Accelerate the certification of remaining public facilities, prioritising high‑burden districts. Strengthen state‑level capacity for human‑resource recruitment and deployment, leveraging NHM grants. Institutionalise real‑time monitoring dashboards linking certification scores with maternal‑mortality indicators. Enhance community participation through patient‑rights awareness campaigns, ensuring demand‑side accountability. Integrate LaQshya standards with broader initiatives such as NHM and the IPHS to create a unified quality‑assurance framework. Continued oversight through supportive supervisory visits and CRMs will be crucial to translate certification into tangible improvements in maternal and newborn outcomes.