Hello everyone, most of you would be aware that recently on the occasion of World Population Day, Uttar Pradesh has announced its New Population Policy 2021-30. So presently, we are going to discuss their 2 child policy and clarify your doubts.
The Uttar Pradesh government announced a new population policy for 2021-2030 on World Population Day (11th July). The new policy has provisions to give incentives to those people who help in population control.
- Special facilities to all families who have only one child and undertake voluntary sterilisation.
- A person who has more than two children after the law comes into force would be debarred from several benefits such as welfare schemes.
Let’s discuss this policy in depth.
Key points of the draft bill on population control:
The main goal of the new policy are:
- Decreasing the total fertility rate from 2.7 to 2.1 by 2026 and 1.7 by 2030.
- Increase modern contraceptive prevalence rate from 31.7% to 45% by 2026 and 52% by 2030.
- Increase male methods of contraception use from 10.8% to 15.1% by 2026 and 16.4% by 2030.
- Decrease maternal mortality rate from 197 to 150 to 98, and infant mortality rate from 43 to 32 to 22, and under 5 infant mortality rate from 47 to 35 to 25.
The new policy targets on:
- Increasing the accessibility of contraceptive measures issued under the Family Planning Programme.
- Provide a proper system for safe abortion and reducing new born’s and maternal mortality rate.
- Providing care of the elderly, and better management of education, health, and nutrition of adolescents between 11 to 19 years.
- The draft bill also asks the state government to introduce population control as a compulsory subject in all secondary schools for the awareness creation.
The Uttar Pradesh government plans to set up a state population fund to implement the measures. Government has decided to give incentives to those who are helping in population control.
Incentives are mentioned below:
- Promotions, increments, concessions in housing schemes and other perks to employees who adhere to population control norms, and have two or less children.
- Public servants who adopt the two-child policy will get additional increments during their entire service, maternity or as the case may be paternity leave of 12 months, with full salary and allowances and three percent increase in the employer’s contribution fund under the National Pension Scheme.
- For those people who are not government employees and still contribute towards keeping the population in check will also benefit in rebates in taxes on water, housing, home loans etc.
- If the parent of a child opts for vasectomy, their kid will be eligible for free medical facilities till the age of 20.
Problems and difficulties related with the new policy:
- Specialties have recommended that awareness against any population policy that puts women’s health and well being is at risk.
- The burden of contraception and family planning unreasonably falls on women, it is most likely that female sterilisation may increase further.
- Rigid population control measures may lead to an increase in these above practices and unsafe abortions given the strong son preference in India, as witnessed in the past.
This was all about UP’s 2 child policy. Hope you liked reading. For more stay tuned.
Thank you
