Question · 338 words written
What is ailing anti population drive
Opening
Answer 4(a) Population policy refers to an attempt to change social and economic determinants of population growth in desired direction. India is perhaps the first country to have a population policy. However India will soon overtake china in population.
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What was problem? → 1-3 rd Five year Plan (FYP) - 'clinical approach' - noone knew about it. → 4th FYP - 'extensive education campaign' - access to facilities was missing → 5th FYP - 'integrated approach' → Bangladeshi migrants using 'JUS SOLI' approach of our citizenship added to population. → emergency era - coercive techniques and over-zealousness boomeranged and people out of fear reproduced more. → National family welfare Plan - political will missing.
- Health facilities are poor especially in eastern U.P. and Bihar. Recent death of 40 children in Gorakhpur reveal the same. According to Demographic Transition theory, birth rate declines only after health facilities get improved.
- Religion - almost all of them promote breeding. Thus child considered gift of God. Minority fear also adds to it and they see number as strength. eg- many Ulemas ask Muslim women to reproduce more.
- Education especially of women is low by as much as 20% compared to men as revealed by census 2011. Until women gets educated and takes control of her body, child bearing continues.
- Poverty adds to population as seen in poor reproducing more than rich to add to their family income.
through labour. (5) Caste also has role as lower castes due to various reasons - poverty, education, culture - reproduce more than upper castes. (6) Society looks down upon women who doesnt give son. Marriage is sacramental and compulsary in Hindu society. (7) Patriarchal norms that have meta-son preference and thus keep reproducing until they have male child.
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Thus a sociological solution to demographic problem is required. Education can play game changer as seen in growth rate (population) of Bihar - 25% & Kerala - 5% in a decade. Thus education and health should be two planks to continue with policy.