National Population

Policy [UPSC Notes]

India has the second-largest population in
the world. With a current population of about
1.3 billion, population growth control
continues to be on every government's
agenda. In this aticle, you can read all about
the NationalPopulation Policy, 2000, as well
as, about previous such policies and
measures announced by the government in
this direction. This is an important topic under
the UPSC exam polity, governance, and social
issues segments.

National Population Policy,

2000
The National Population Policy (NPP), 2000 is
the central government's second population
policy. The NPP states its immediate objective
as addressing the unmet needs for
contraception, healthcare infrastructure, and
health personnel, and providing integrated
service delivery for basic reproductive and
child healthcare.

" The medium-term objective of the NPP 2000

was to reduce the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to
replacement levels by 2010.
" The TFR Was to be 2.lchildren per
Woman.

" The long-term objective is " to achieve a

stable population by 2045, at a level
consistent with the requirements of
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 l4 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 llakh 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
(preferrabiy 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 AlDS 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.
Bringing about a Convergence of all related
social programmes so that family planning
and welfare becomes a people-centric
programme.
The NPP 2000 is different from the previous
population regulation programmes in that
here, for the first time, the population
problem was seen in combination with child
survival, maternal health, women
empowerment and contraception issues.
Evolution of India's Population
Policies
Even before independence, attempts were
made to come up with
and solutions to India's recommendations
burgeoning
population problem. The efforts both pre
and post-independence are mentioned
below.
" Radha Kamal Mukherjee Committee (1940): In
1940,the Indian National Congress appointed
a Committee headed by a social scientist
Radha Kamal Mukherjee to suggest solutions
to arrest the population which has started
increasing rapidly after l921. The committee
recommended self-control, generating
awareness of cheap and safe birth control
measures, discouraging polygamy, among
others, as measures to bring down the rate of
population growth.
" Bhore Committee: The Health Survey and
Development committee under Sir Joseph
Bhore recommended 'deliberate limitation of
family' as a measure to control the population
growth. This committee was set up in 1943 and
submitted its report in 1946.
India became one of the first developing
countries to conme up with a state-sponsored
family planning programme in the 1950s.
Apopulation policy committee was
established in 1952. However, the policies
framed in the early fifties were largely
arbitrary and so no successful.
" In 1956, a Central Family Planning Board was
set up and its focus was on sterilisation.
In 1976, GOI announced the first National
Population Policy. Some of the measures to
check the population growth as part of this
policy include:
" Increased the minimum legal
marriageable age for boys and girls to
21 and 18 respectively.
" Providing monetary incentives for
employing birth control.
" Improving women's literacy levels
through formal and informal channels.
" Population Was made a criteria in
deciding the quantum of central
assistance to states.
" Using the different forms of media to
popularise family welfare programmes.
" Introducing population education into
the formal education system.
od (1975-77)
 " During the Emergency period (1975-77),
coercive measures were used to reduce the
population growth. There were mass forced
sterlilisations. This, however, backfired as it
discredited the entire family planning
programme of the government.
" In 1977, after the Emergency ended, the new
government discarded the use of force in
family planning and the family planning
programme was renamed as the family
welfare programme.
" The National Health Policy was adopted in
1983 which emphasised 'securing the small
family norm through voluntary efforts and
moving towards the goalof population
stabilization'.

" ACommittee on Population was appointed in

1991which submitted its report in 1993 in which
it recommended the formulation ofa National
Population Policy to take a 'a long-term
holistic view of development, population
growth, and environmental protection' and to
'suggest policies and guidelines [for]
formulation of programmes' and 'a
monitoring mechanism with short- medium
and long-term perspectives and goais'.
Accordingly, an Expert Group headed by Dr.
MS Swaminathan was set up to create the
draft nationalpopulation policy.
The National Population Policy finally came
into force in 2000.

Way Forward

Population problem is not just an issue of

lack of awareness or education. It is
intrinsicaly linked to poverty, societal norms
and culturalpreferences like preference for
the male child, larger families, etc. Amere
focus on contraception and sterilization will
not render the population control measures
successful, and so will not the coercive and
top-bottom approach help either. The focus
must be on a basket of issues such as
poverty lleviation, women empowerment,
education & awareness, access to
reproductive healthcare facilities, changing
mindset and societal norms, etc. Also,
adequate measures must be taken to take
advantage of the demographic dividend of
the country so that population is nota
burden but a resource in the rapid economic
development of the country.