Need to rethink discriminatory policy

Synopsis: Recent Assam government proposed to bar people with more than two children from welfare schemes. 

Similar norms related to contesting local body elections are present in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha and Haryana. 

How is the policy flawed and discriminatory? 

• Firstly, measures such as the two-child policy discriminate against the poor and the socially marginalized. 

• These policies also provoke people, and it increases communalization of the society. 
• It increases vote bank politics as these policies are misused by politician to gain support from particular community. 

• Secondly, China used such penal measures to control population but in long term it failed. 

• In case of India judicious mix of policies that focusses on improving social indices such as literacy and healthcare, especially of women and children, and family planning measures, including promotion of modern contraceptives made the demographic transition sustainable. 

• Thirdly, In India the focus is slowly shifting from childbearing to child rearing. 

• As per National Family Health Survey (NFHS) and Census data population growth in India is not a matter for concern. 
• India’s population is expected to peak by 2050 and then decline sharply with the total fertility rate projected to reach 1.3 by 2100. 

• Fourth, In Assam TFR is declining sharply among all communities. 

• According to the fifth NFHS (2019-20), the TFR for Muslims in Assam is 2.4 from 3.6 in 2005-06. 

• Lastly, total fertility rate (TFR) for depends on many socio-economic factors including: 

• Higher levels of poverty 
• lower levels of education and 
• population concentrated in less developed rural areas. 

That is why coercive measures need to avoided and policies should be based on fairness, freedom and equality. 

Source: Indian Express