MADURAl: 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 actorturned-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.-AFP