Answer Writing- GS-3

Explain the policies adopted by our govt to control population.

Five-Year Plans by the Government of India for population control

First Five Year Plan: India is the first country in the world to begin a population control programme in 1952. It emphasized the use of natural devices for family planning.

Second Five Year Plan: Work was done in the direction of education and research and the clinical approach was encouraged.

Third Five Year Plan: In 1965, the sterilization technique for both men and women was adopted under this plan. The technique of copper- T was also adopted. An independent department called the Family Planning Department was set up.

Fourth Five-Year Plan: All kinds of birth control methods (conventional and modern) were encouraged.

Fifth Five Year Plan: Under this plan the National Population Policy was announced on 16 April, 1976. In this policy, the minimum age for marriage determined by the Sharda Act, 1929 was increased. It increased the age for boys from 18 to 21 years and for girls from 14 to 18 years.  The number of MPs and MLAs was fixed till the year 2001 on the basis of the census 1971.  Under this Plan, forced sterilization was permitted which was later on given up. In 1977, the Janata Party government changed the name of Family Planning Department to Family Welfare Department.

In the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Plans, efforts were done to control population by determining long-term demographic aims.

Ninth Five-Year Plan: In 1993, the government had established an expert group under the chairmanship of M.S. Swaminathan for formulating national population policy. Though this group had prepared the draft of the new population policy in 1994, it was reviewed in 1999 by the Family Welfare Department and was passed by the Parliament in 2000.  The Central Government formulated the 'new national population policy' in February 2000. This policy has three main objectives:

Objectives of Ninth Five Year Plan

1. Temporary objective: The easy supply of birth control devices was included in it. Besides, the development of health protection framework and recruitment of health workers were also made a part of it.

2. Middle-term objective: Under it, the total fertility rate (TFR) had to bring down to the replacement level of 2.1 by 2010.

3. Long-term objective: Under it, the Objective of population stabilization by 2045 is to be achieved.

The population has to be stabilised at that level which must be harmonious from the points of view of economic and social development and environmental protection.

The following major Objectives had been set in the National Population Policy till the year 2010:

1. The 'total fertility rate' to be reduced to 2.1.

2. The high class birth control services had to be made available publically so that the standard of two children could be adopted.

3. The infant mortality rate had to be reduced to 30 per thousand.

4. The mother mortality rate had also to be reduced to below 100 per one lakh.

5. The late marriage of girls had to be encouraged.

A high level 100-membered National Population Commission has been set up under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister on 11 May 2000 to supervise and analyse the implementation of this new population policy.

National Population Policy pursues to achieve following Socio-Demographic goals by 2010:

- Address the unmet needs for basic reproductive and child health services, supplies and infrastructure.

-Make school education up to age 14 free and compulsory, and reduce drop outs at primary and secondary school levels to below 20 percent for both boys and girls.

-Reduce infant mortality rate to below 30 per 1000 live births.

-Reduce maternal mortality ratio to below 100 per 100,000 live births.

-Achieve universal immunization of children against all vaccine preventable diseases.

-Promote delayed marriage for girls, not earlier than age 18 and preferably after 20 years of age.

-Achieve 80 percent institutional deliveries and 100 percent deliveries by trained persons.

-Achieve universal access to information/counseling, and services for fertility regulation and contraception with a wide basket of choices.

-Achieve 100 per cent registration of births, deaths, marriage and pregnancy.

-Contain the spread of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and promote greater integration between the management of reproductive tract infections (RTI) and sexually transmitted infections (STI) and the National AIDS Control Organization.

-Prevent and Control communicable diseases.12. Integrate Indian Systems of Medicines (ISM) in the provision of reproductive and child health services, and in reaching out to households.

-Promote vigorously the small family norm to achieve replacement levels of TFR.

-Bring about convergence in implementation of related social sector programs so that family welfare becomes a people centered programme.