According to NFHS-5, women have outnumbered men in India for the first time in history. Do you believe this reflects the success of family planning in India? Provide a critical analysis of the situation.

Manifest function : reflects success of family planning.

1. Increased Empowerment of women through institutional deliveries (>86%), nutrition support (through Anganwadis) has reduced maternal mortality rate (<100).

2. Improved access to contraceptives ↓ Better family planning + lower unwanted pregnancies ↓ fewer infant mortality rates.

3. Socio-cultural shifts - decline in 'son-meta preference' and thus lower female infanticide.

4. State support in providing education, nutrition → reduced financial burden on families → better attitude towards girl child. Eg - 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' Campaign, 'mid-day meals', etc.

5. Coercive Control through laws like Prohibition on Prenatal Sex Determination, violence against women, has improved the number of healthy women in society.

Latent truth: Better sex ratio does not imply success of family planning

1. Sex ratio at birth is still below 980, showing continued instances of female foeticide, infanticide.

2. Regional disparities - sex ratios are

much worse in north-western states of Haryana, Punjab, despite being economically developed.

1. Access to healthcare specially in rural areas remains inadequate → lower quality, fewer hospitals and doctors.

2. Burden of family planning still placed mostly on women → over 90% of family planning services, contraceptives accessed by women.

3. Sexual and Reproductive Health are still a challenge for women, due to lack of access to menstrual products, control over sexual activity by family (eg. through child marriages), and lack of awareness about sexual diseases.

4. Violence against women is on the rise, according to NCRB (increased by >20% in 2022 over 2021).

Way forward

1. Updating National Population Policy 2000 to meet post-covid needs (such as missed immunizations).

2. Socio-cultural change - increased participation of men in use of contraceptives, through media, advertisements promoting change.

3. Empowerment of women - access to quality healthcare, education, safe working space → 'life cycle approach'.