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Drastic steps to arrest population growth in UP

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh is all set to roll out its first population policy, which seeks to undertake drastic measures in the country's most populous state, which already has more than 170 million people.

One of the novel methods proposed in the draft policy , is to make marriage registrations mandatory and bar those marrying below the statutory age (18 for girls and 21 for boys) from all government jobs. Another measure seeks to disqualify persons with more than two children from contesting panchayat elections.

The policy has not yet been announced since the second proposal drew much resentment from within the ruling coalition group, as panchayat elections are scheduled on June 23. A formal announcement of the policy is likely to be made after this.

"The idea behind making marriage registrations compulsory is to prevent early marriages," said an official spokesman . "You see, nearly 64 per cent of the girls are married off before the prescribed minimum age of 18, that eventually not only contributes to the high fertility rate, but also to health hazards associated with early child bearing."

According to him, "Registration of marriages will require proper age certification of prospective couples."

Among other things the policy calls for active involvement of "opinion makers, religious leaders, co-operative as well as the private sector to promote the concept of a small family ." The agrarian state, where nearly 80 per cent of the population lives in the villages, would put even postmen and the 40,000-odd registered medical practitioners to use in spreading awareness about the advantages of a small family. "Both postmen and RMPs exercise tremendous influence in the villages," the spokesman pointed out.

While the state has been revelling over its recent achievement of bringing down the average family size from five in 1992 to four in 1998, the new policy has set a target of two for 2016 . "Considering that the drop in family size from six to five took four decades, the reduction to four in six years is praiseworthy," said Minister for Mother and Child Welfare Sardar Singh.

The policy also lays emphasis on women's empowerment, which was seen as a key factor in bringing down the fertility rate. And while expressing concern at the declining involvement of men in population control, the policy suggests the need for sustained campaigns to educate men about their responsibilities, thereby inculcating the need for use of family planning methods.

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