With a view to accelerate the reduction in maternal mortality, Government of India initiated a scheme called Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) in 2005 under its National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The scheme aims at reducing maternal and new born mortality rate by promoting institutional delivery for which financial incentives are provided to mothers who deliver in a health facility. On the request of the Government of India, UNFPA commissioned this concurent evaluation study of JSY in five high focus states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.