The way a population changes over time affects a nation’s development and the health of its people. This is especially important for developing countries, as they have specific challenges related to their population growth and structure that impact their progress.
Discussions on population growth and the need to adopt a population policy had begun in India even before Independence. A Sub-Committee on population was set up by the National Planning Committee appointed in 1938 by the Interim Government. This Committee, in its resolution in 1940 said, “in the interest of social economy, family happiness and national planning, family planning and a limitation of children are essential”.
India was one of the first countries to openly declare a policy focusing on population control in 1952. The primary objective of this program was to decrease birth rates with the goal of stabilizing the population at a level that aligned with the needs of the national economy.
- The National Family Planning Programme was the realization of India’s population policy. Its primary aims have remained consistent over time, primarily focusing on influencing the rate and structure of population growth in beneficial ways.
- Initially, the program emphasized reducing population growth rates by promoting birth control methods, enhancing public health standards, and raising awareness about population and health concerns.
- During the period of the National Emergency (1975-76), the Family Planning Programme faced challenges. The country operated under special laws and ordinances directly issued by the government, bypassing the usual parliamentary and legal processes.
- During this time the government tried to intensify the effort to bring down the growth rate of population by introducing a coercive programme of mass sterilization.
- Here sterilization refers to medical procedures like vasectomy (for men) and tubectomy (for women) which prevent conception and childbirth. Vast numbers of mostly poor and powerless people were forcibly sterilized and there was massive pressure on lower level government officials (like school teachers or office workers) to bring people for sterilization in the camps that were organized for this purpose.
- There was widespread popular opposition to this programme, and the new government elected after the Emergency abandoned it.
- The National Family Planning Programme was renamed as the National Family Welfare Programme post the Emergency period, ceasing the use of coercive methods. Presently, the program encompasses a wider spectrum of socio-demographic objectives.
- India established a comprehensive national population policy in April 1967, acknowledging that population growth was linked to poverty and therefore needed to be addressed to enhance the quality of life.
- In 1976, the first National Population Policy was formulated and presented in Parliament. This policy delineated specific demographic objectives and introduced various programs to merge family planning with broader socio-economic development strategies.
- The government advocated that smaller families were associated with happier and healthier households, although this statement was neither deliberated nor accepted.
The National Health Policy introduced in 1983 emphasized the importance of achieving the “small family norm” through voluntary efforts and aimed at population stabilization. Subsequently, there was an acknowledgment in Parliament regarding the necessity for a distinct National Population Policy.
Following this, the National Population Policy of 2000 was formulated, bringing forth a fresh set of guidelines and objectives.
National Population Policy 2000
- The National Population Policy 2000 has made a qualitative departure in its approach to population issues. It does not directly lay emphasis on population control.
- It states that the objective of economic and social development is to improve the quality of lives that people lead, to enhance their well- being, and to provide the opportunities and choices to become productive assets (resources) in the society. Stabilizing population is an essential requirement for promoting sustainable development.
- The immediate objective of the NPP 2000 is to address the unmet needs for contraception, health care infrastructure, and health personnel, and to provide integrated service delivery for basic reproductive and child health care.
- The medium term objective was to bring the total fertility rate (TFR) to replacement levels by 2010 through vigorous implementation of inter-sectoral operational strategies.
- The long term objective was to achieve a stable population by 2045 with sustainable economic growth, social development, and environmental protection.
Important features of National Population Policy
- The NPP reinforces the vision of the government to encourage voluntary and informed choices and citizens’ agreeability in order to achieve maximum benefits from reproductive health services.
- Making school education free and compulsory up to the age of 14 years and also reducing the dropout rates of both boys and girls.
- Decreasing the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to under 30 per 1000 live births in the country (to be achieved by 2010 as prescribed when the NPP was brought out).
- Reducing the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) to under 100 per 1 lakh live births (to be achieved by 2010 as prescribed when the NPP was brought out).
- Achieving universal immunization for all children against vaccine preventable diseases.
- Encouraging delayed marriage for girls (preferrably before 18 years and above 20 years).
- Achieving 80 percent institutional deliveries and 100 percent deliveries by trained persons.
- Attaining 100% registration of pregnancies, births, deaths and marriages.
- Making available universal access to information/counseling, and services for fertility regulation and contraception with a huge range of choices.
- Containing the spread of AIDS, boosting better coordination between the management of reproductive tract infections (RTI) and sexually transmitted infections (STI) and the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).
- Preventing and controlling communicable diseases.
- Integrating Indian medicine systems (AYUSH) in reproductive and child health services.
- Vigourously furthering the small family norm.
Measures to control the population growth of India
- Focus on Spacing Methods: Like IUCD (Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices) to help manage family planning.
- Fixed-Day Static Services: Available at all facilities to offer consistent family planning services.
- Quality Assurance Committees: Established at state and district levels to ensure quality care in family planning services.
- Contraceptives Supply Management: Improved management of contraceptives, extending to peripheral facilities.
- Demand Generation Activities: Such as posters, billboards, and audio-visual materials in various facilities to encourage family planning.
- National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme (NFPIS): An insurance scheme covering clients against complications post-sterilization and indemnifying providers against litigations.
- Compensation Scheme: Providing compensation for lost wages to sterilization beneficiaries and service providers.
- Promotion of Non-Scalpel Vasectomy: Encouraging male participation in family planning methods.
- Emphasis on Minilap Tubectomy Services: Simpler logistics, requiring MBBS doctors instead of specialized gynecologists/surgeons.
- Accreditation of Private/NGO Facilities: Expanding provider bases for family planning services through public-private partnerships.
New Interventions under Family Planning Programme
- Scheme for Home delivery of contraceptives by ASHAs at doorstep of beneficiaries: The govt. has launched a scheme to utilize the services of ASHA to deliver contraceptives at the doorstep of beneficiaries.
- Scheme for ASHAs to ensure spacing in births: Under this scheme, services of ASHAs to be utilised for counselling newly married couples to ensure delay of 2 years in birth after marriage and couples with 1 child to have spacing of 3 years after the birth of 1st child.
- Boost to spacing methods by introduction of new method PPIUCD (Post-Partum Intra Uterine Contraceptive Device.
- Introduction of the new device Cu IUCD 375, which is effective for 5 years.
- Emphasis on Postpartum Family Planning (PPFP) services with introduction of PPIUCD and promotion of minilap as the main mode of providing sterilisation in the form of post- partum sterilisation to capitalise on the huge cases coming in for institutional delivery under JSY.
- Compensation for sterilisation acceptors has been enhanced for 11 High Focus States with high TFR.
- Scheme for provision of pregnancy testing kits at the sub-centres as well as in the drug kit of the ASHAs for use in the communities to facilitate the early detection and decision making for the outcome of pregnancy.
- RMNCH Counselors (Reproductive Maternal New Born and Child Health) availability at the high case facilities to ensure counseling of the clients visiting the facilities.
- Reducing the unmet need by an improved access to voluntary family planning services, supplies and information. In addition to above, Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh/National Population
Stabilization Fund has adopted the following strategies as a population control measure:-
- Prerna Strategy: JSK has launched this strategy for helping to push up the age of marriage of girls and delay in first child and spacing in second child the birth of children in the interest of health of young mothers and infants. The couple who adopt this strategy awarded suitably. This helps to change the mindsets of the community.
- Santushti Strategy: Under this strategy, Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh, invites private sector gynaecologists and vasectomy surgeons to conduct sterilization operations in Public Private Partnership mode. The private hospitals/nursing home who achieved target to 10 or more are suitably awarded as per strategy.
- National Helpline: JSK also running a call centers for providing free advice on reproductive health, family planning, maternal health and child health etc.
- Advocacy & IEC activities: JSK as a part of its awareness and advocacy efforts on population stabilization, has established networks and partnerships with other ministries, development partners, private sectors, corporate and professional bodies for spreading its activities through electronic media, print media, workshop, walkathon, and other multi-level activities etc. at the national, state, district and block level.
FAQs
Q: What are population policies in India?
A: Population policies in India refer to governmental strategies and programs aimed at regulating population growth, promoting reproductive health, and ensuring sustainable development. These policies encompass measures such as family planning, maternal healthcare, education, and economic incentives to control population growth.
Q: What is the objective of India’s population policies?
A: The primary objective of India’s population policies is to achieve a stable population size that is sustainable with the available resources. This includes reducing fertility rates, ensuring access to reproductive health services, empowering women with education and economic opportunities, and addressing socio-economic disparities.
Q: How does India promote family planning?
A: India promotes family planning through various measures such as the provision of contraceptives, promoting awareness about family planning methods through educational campaigns, offering incentives for sterilization, and ensuring access to quality reproductive healthcare services across the country.
Q: What role do women play in India’s population policies?
A: Women play a crucial role in India’s population policies as they are often the primary decision-makers regarding family size and reproductive health choices. Empowering women through education, access to healthcare, and economic opportunities is integral to achieving the objectives of population stabilization and sustainable development.
Q: How do India’s population policies address socio-economic disparities?
A: India’s population policies recognize the link between population growth and socio-economic development. Therefore, they include measures to address socio-economic disparities by focusing on education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation programs. Targeted interventions aim to uplift marginalized communities, improve living standards, and create opportunities for all citizens, thus contributing to a more equitable and sustainable society.
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