U.P’s New Population Policy – Stamp of Coercion

By Monalisa Maity

Overview

1. Uttar Pradesh released a new policy named- U.P’s new population policy.
2. Target of this policy is to bring down the gross fertility rate from 2.7-2.1 by 2026.
3. For this purpose the U.P State Law Commission has prepared a proposed draft bill – Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilization and Welfare)Bill, 2021.

INCENTIVES AND DISINCENTIVES

1. The aim of this Bill is to provide incentives to families that adhere to two-child norms
2. Also disentitling to those families who breach this norm from the benefits and subsidies
3. The benefits include-
4. Increments during service
5. Subsidy towards the purchase of a house
6. Maternity or paternity leave(with full salary and allowances) for up to 12 months
7. Free health care and insurance coverage for the spouse
8.  If they violates the two-child norm they will be ruled out from getting the benefits of any government schemes and also get disqualified from applying state government job
9. Existing government employees who infringe this rule will be debarred from the benefit of promotion. Also they will be prohibited from contesting elections to local authorities and bodies

MEASURES

(To control the growth of population)

1. Improving public health
2. Access to education

Words of Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

• There is a need to follow conferences
• India also committed to its obligations under International Law-

For e.g. International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action,1994

NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES

• India’s sex ratio is already skewed
• If forcefully implementing two-child policy than the male child will be given more priority as compare to female child and also increases female foeticide problems