1. The Need for a Population
Policy
Prof. Melissa C Remedios
2. Introduction
• The National Planning Committee passed
National Population Policy of India
• It was long before procuring our Independence
even that several discussion benches saw the
onset of population policy. Much before
Independence; in the year 1938 only a Sub
Committee on population was set up by the
National Planning Committee appointed by the
Interim Government. and essential step towards
improvement in health of mothers and children.
3. Contd:
• It was because in the plan, family planning was treated
as a part of the health program and received a 100%
• funding from the centre government. And with each
passing year, the amount of these funds has increased.
• The success of this family planning agenda was so dear
to the heart of the government that even a separate
department coined as Department of Family Planning
was carved out in the Ministry of Health in the year 1966.
• This was done with an objective to reinforce the
population control program.
4. Contd:
• The resolution in 1940 that stated the need for
the state to adopt family planning and welfare
policies in order to bring about a harmonious
order of social economy.
• The resolution also stressed the need of
limitation of children.
• April, 1951 recorded further enhancements in
this policy formulation as the First Five Year Plan
labeled for an overt population policy and
adjudged family planning as a pragmatic
5. Contd:
• This National Population Policy was further modified and
re announced in 1977. In this
• new policy, what was reinforced was education and
health. The latter component of the
• reformulated policy included the general as well as
maternal and child health both. A
• voluntary family planning was also introduced here on.
This also saw the change of the
• phrase from Family Planning to Family Welfare program
that is maintained till date.
6. Need for a population policy:
• Economic Survey 2018-19 data: India’s demographic dividend will
peak around 2041, when the share of the working age population is
expected to hit 59%.
• In contrast, the world’s population is expected to hit a peak and then
drop by the end of the century.
• Aging: As fertility drops and lifespans rise globally, the world is aging
at a significant pace. 12% of India’s total population by 2025 is going
to be the elderly.
• Every fifth Indian by 2050 will be over the age of 65.
• Productivity: Thomas Malthus' population theory suggested
equilibrium between the population growth and productivity.
• To make the present population productive and employable,
targeted skills training and better economic planning is needed.
7. Contd:
• Lesson from China: Drastic changes in public
policy to manage the population may have
unexpected consequences. For example,
China's one child policy led to a sharp reduction
in the population growth rate but it also led to a
rapidly risingelderly population.
• Evidence based policy: Indian government
should focus on creating a situation to ensure
gradual changes in the family size in the context
of a growing economy, rather than excessive
focus on the reduction of a fertility rate.
8. Contd:
• Automation: In today’s modern world the productivity of individuals is
greatly affected by automation, sometimes causing loss of
employment.
• However, it doesn’t replace human nature and human touch. For
example, the informal care economy.
• Demographic dividend: India has a very brief window of opportunity
(next few decades) to tap into the potential of our youth population
by investing in education, skills and well being of adolescents.
Otherwise, India’s demographic dividend might become a
demographic disaster.
• Gender issues: Fertility decline lowers burden on women. But two
thirds of the elderly are women as they tend to live longer than men.
• Thus India needs to recognise the gender dimension in the
population policy to tap into these changes.
9. Contd:
• Gender neutral employment: India needs to improve
employment opportunities for young women and
increase the female employment rate.
• Elderly women need economic and social support
networks.
• BIMARU States: India’s future lies in the development of
youth potential, especially in U.P., Bihar, M.P. with a
higher Total Fertility Rate (TFR) than the national
average.
• These States need more resources and support in
ensuring their education, skilling and employment, else
risk a huge economic liability.
10. Positive developments
• Reduce infant mortality rate to below 30
per 1000 live births. Reduce maternal
mortality ratio to below 100 per 100,000
live births. Achieve universal immunization
of children against all vaccine preventable
diseases. Promote delayed marriage for
girls, not earlier than age 18 and
preferably after 20 years of age
11. The importance of it:
• Population policies are primarily a
response to the anticipated consequences
of fertility and mortality, and secondarily to
internal and international migration that
also modify the size, age composition, and
regional distribution of the population.
12. Activity 1.
• Mention the population control bill 2019
and what were the relevant changes made
to it.
