History of Population Control in India

With a current population of 1.21 billion, India is set to become the world’s most populous country by 2030, and there are no other countries likely to ever rival this status. Since 1931, India has nearly quadrupled in size from 279 million people to well over a billion and currently represents 15% of the world’s population, although it has only 2.4% of the world’s land area (Haub, Sharma). Since its’ independence from the British in August of 1947, India has been increasing its power and influence in a global scale, and is now one of the fastest growing economies in the world. However, India’s population boom is credited with holding back India’s economic prowess as poverty and crime continue to effect its’ 1.2 billion people.

Unlike communist China’s stringent one child only policy, India’s federal republic-style government has turned towards less harsh methods of controlling the surging number of births. India, in fact, was the first country to have a population policy, which was introduced in 1952, and is now known as the ‘First Five Year Plan’. This plan was introduced as a response to decreasing mortality rates subsequent population boom. The 1950′s method was known as the ‘clinical approach’. Family planning clinics were built in hopes that people would utilize them, however this plan failed as parents had no incentives to attend these clinics. Failed policies continued to plague India. By the 1960’s, the Indian government knew that it had to adapt its programs and initiated its’ third Five Year Plan focusing on extending the current policies and setting target goals (Vasudev).

In the 1970’s, a more focused effort was being directed by the government to decrease population growth. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971 allowed for abortions performed by a medical practitioner within the first three months of pregnancy, except in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, which are majority Muslim. Abortions could be performed after twelve weeks if the pregnancy threatened the life of the mother or the child could potentially be born with handicaps. Rape, incest, or an unwanted pregnancy all qualify as threatening the welfare of the mother under this law (Government of India). By 1976, Dr. Karan Singh helped introduce a minimum age for marriage, and encouraged education of women and research on contraception and reproductive biology.

Underdeveloped and rural areas tend to have higher fertility rates than their developed counterparts. With roughly ¾ of its population residing in rural areas, India’s fertility rates continue to be high  in many states (Davis, Blake). Sterilization is often a method turned to by women, and occasionally even men (though this is much less likely due to the view that being unable to produce male children discredits one’s masculinity). Sterilization can be dangerous and women are sometimes not fully informed of the health risks associated with this procedure, including its irreversible effects. Under Dr. Karan Singh, the first monetary incentives were introduced for undergoing vasectomy and tubectomy (Vasudev).

The Human Rights Watch cites sterilization as a major health concern for women in India. Female health workers and childhood nutrition workers, called anganwadi workers, were historically given financial incentives by the Indian government to meet yearly sterilization quotas. Due to controversy, in 1996 India announced that it would take a “target-free” approach to family planning, and while it has acted on this promise, state and local officials continue to set sterilization targets. Health care workers who do not meet these quotas risk losing their jobs. These targets lead to workers misinforming women about the health impacts of the decision to sterilize. Recent programs have made an attempt to shift focus from numbers to quality and availability of care (Human Rights Watch).

From 1990 to 2000, India attempted to introduce target-free approaches, and move from broad, national plans to more localized area plans. An emphasis was also placed on collecting detailed data throughout the country. The National Commission on Population put forth a plan in 2000 called the National Population Plan in order to address issues such as contraception, health care infrastructure, and reproductive health care. The long term objective of this commission is to have an economically sustainable population by 2045 (National Population Policy).

The future of India’s population control policies is uncertain as the growing population limits access to resources such as clean water and food. In July of 2012, the Indian government announced that it would increase its promotion and availability of contraception for birth spacing. The current national policy encompasses information learned over the past 50 years about incentives to keep family size low. Human rights and equal treatment under the law are being emphasized more so than ever, making family planning participatory. The plan also focuses on reducing HIV/AIDS, a rampant problem in India, which is second only to South Africa in percentage of citizens afflicted with the disease. While India struggles with pioneering population policy, the overall population growth rate has decreased, indicating that India’s plans are seeing some success (Vasudev).

 

See also: https://humanrightsinasia.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/population-control-in-india/

Works Cited:

“Background Note: India.” U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, 12 Apr. 2012. Web. 30 July 2012. <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3454.htm&gt;.

Davis, Kingsley, and Judith Blake. “Social Structure and Fertility: An Analytic Framework.” Economic Development and Cultural Change 4.3 (1956): 211-213. Print.

Haub, Carl, and O.P. Sharma. “India’s Population Reality: Reconciling Change and Tradition.” Population Bulletin 61.3 (2006): 2-24. Print.

“India: Target-Driven Sterilization Harming Women | Human Rights Watch.” India: Target-Driven Sterilization Harming Women | Human Rights Watch. 12 July 2012. Web. 30 July 2012. <http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/07/12/india-target-driven-sterilization-harming-women&gt;.

“National Population Policy 2000.” National Commission on Population. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2012. <http://populationcommission.nic.in/welcome.htm&gt;.

“THE MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY ACT, 1971.” Government of India. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2012. <http://www.mp.gov.in/health/acts/mtp%20Act.pdf&gt;.

Vasudev, Romica. “Population Policy.” Christ College, Bangalore. 30 July 2012. Lecture.

Tags: abortion, family planning, Five Year Plan, HIV/AIDS, human rights, India, Indian government, Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, policy, population, population control, poverty, sterilization, target planning, women's rights