At the policy level, it is recognized that respectful maternity care is a critical aspect of the maternal and newborn health agenda. In 2017, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI, launched the LAQSHYA Guidelines - or the Labor Room Quality Initiative – which detailed a set of guidelines stipulating the measures that public health facilities should follow to ensure quality and respectful maternity care, thus ensuring a positive birthing experience. Similarly, the Government’s SurakshitMaatritvaAashwasan (SUMAN), is an initiative to tackle maternal mortality by assuring maternal and newborn healthcare services to all women, giving wider access to cost-effective quality care services, zero tolerance for denial of services, and focuses on respecting women's autonomy, dignity, choices and preferences.