'Increasing Numbers Root Of Major Problems', UP CM To Bring New Policy On World Population Day

UP government will unveil the new policy on population control today.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath will unveil the new population control policy

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will unveil a new policy to keep a check on the increasing population of the state on World Population Day. The draft of the legislation was released in the public domain on Saturday revealing the steps the government will implement  on population control for 2021-30.

The draft provides incentives to married couples who limit their families to two or fewer children, whereas it disincentivises those who fail to adhere to the two-child norm.

The draft law has been prepared by the Uttar Pradesh Health Department based on the findings of the National Family Health Survey-4.

On the world population day 2021, UP CM Yogi Adityanath tweeted in Hindi, "Increasing population is the root of major problems including inequality prevailing in the society. Population control is the primary condition for the establishment of an advanced society. Let us, on this 'World Population Day', take a pledge to make ourselves and the society aware of the problems arising from the increasing population."

UP's Population Control Policy

The incentives would be extended to anyone who adopts the two-child norm by undergoing voluntary sterilization operation upon himself or spouse. This will include a soft loan for construction or purchasing a house at nominal rates of interest and a rebate on charges for utilities such as water, electricity, and house tax.

For those who adopt two-child policy

Listing out benefits for public servants who adopt the two-child policy, the draft bill says, “Public servants who adopt the two-child norm will get two additional increments during the entire service, maternity or as the case may be, paternity leave of 12 months, with full salary and allowances and three per cent increase in the employer’s contribution fund under the national pension scheme.”

For those with single child

Those who have only one child and undergo voluntary sterilisation will additionally get free health care facilities and free insurance coverage to the single child till they turn 20, preference to single child in admission in all educational institutions, including IIMs and AIIMS, free education up to graduation level, scholarship for higher studies in case of a girl child and preference to a single child in government jobs. Public servants sticking to the one-child norm will be eligible for four additional increments in all apart from the incentives promised to the general public doing the same.

Also, a couple living below the poverty line, having only one-child and undergoing voluntary sterilisation operation upon himself or spouse shall be eligible additionally for payment from the government for a one-time lump-sum amount of Rs 80,000 if the single child is a boy, and Rs 1 Lakh if the single child is a girl.

What are the exceptions?

1. In case of multiple births in a second pregnancy, or having more than two children in the first pregnancy.
2. The law would also not apply to those who adopt a third child after having two children conceived from a marriage
3. Those whose one of the two children are disabled and they have a third child are also exempted.
4. Parents who lose one or both of their children and conceive a third child will also not be violating the law.

As per the draft bill, the government will introduce a compulsory subject related to population control in all secondary schools.

Justifying the proposals, the draft bill says: “In Uttar Pradesh, there are the limited ecological and economic resources at hand. It is necessary and urgent that the provision of basic necessities of human life including affordable food, safe drinking water, decent housing, access to quality education, economic/livelihood opportunities, power/electricity for domestic consumption, and a secure living is accessible to all citizens.”

However, the draft bill has received a lot of criticism from the opposition parties calling it a "political agenda" keeping in view of the upcoming assembly elections 2022.

Calling the UP government’s decision immature, Samjwadi Party MLC Ashutosh Sinha said, “Bringing this bill means murder of democracy. This is an immature decision on the part of the Uttar Pradesh government.”

(With agency inputs)