National population policy

 A population is a summation of all the organisms of
the same group or species, which live in the same
geographical area, and have the capability of
interbreeding.

 Set of Ideas or Plans that is used as a basis for
decision making;
 Attitude and actions of an organization regarding a
particular issue;
 General Statement of understanding which guide
decision making.

 The need for National Population Policy was felt since
70’s. It was drafted in 1976. Policy statement on family
welfare program was also prepared in 1977. Both these
statements were tabled in the parliament but were never
discussed or adopted.
 The National Health Policy of 1983 emphasized the
need for securing the small family norm through
voluntary efforts and moving towards the goal of
population stabilization.

 Increase the age of marriage from 15 to 18 years for
girls and from 18 to 21 years for boys.
 Freeze the population figures at the 1971 level until
2001.
 Make some portion of central assistance provided to
the states dependent upon their performance in family
planning.

 Give greater attention to education of girls.
 Ensure a proper place for population education in the total
system of education.
 Involve all ministries and departments of the government
in the family planning program.
 Increase the monetary compensation for sterilization.
 Institute group awards as incentives for various
organizations and bodies representing the people at local
levels, including Zillah Parishad and Panchayat Samiti.

 Encourage intimate association of voluntary
organizations. Particularly those representing women,
with implementation of program.
 Impart more importance to research activities in the field
of population control.
 Use mass media for motivation, particularly in rural areas,
to increase the acceptance of family planning methods.

In 1998, a draft of National
Population Policy was finalized after consultation it was
approved by the cabinet and was examined by groups of
ministers. The draft was discussed in cabinet on 19th
Nov.1999. The suggestions were incorporated and the
final draft of National Population Policy was placed
before the parliament. It was adopted by the government
of India on 15th Feb. 2000.

1. The immediate objectives are:
 To address the unmet needs for contraception, health
care infrastructure, and health personnel.
 To provide integrated service delivery for basic
reproductive and child health care.

2. The medium term objective is:
 To bring the Total Fertility Rate to replacement levels
by 2010, through vigorous implementation of
Intersectoral operational strategies.
3. The long term objective is:
 To achieve a stable population by 2045, at a level
consistent with the requirements of sustainable socio
economic growth and developments and environmental
protection.

 Address the unmet needs for basic reproduction and child
health services, supplies and infrastructure.
 Make school education up to age of 14 free and
compulsory and reduce drop outs primary and secondary
schools levels below 20 % for both girls and boys.
 Reduce infant mortality rate to below 30 per 1000 live
births.
 Reduce maternal mortality ratio to below 100 per 10,000
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.
 Achieve 80 % institutional deliveries and 100 % deliveries
by trained persons.
 Achieve universal access to information / counseling and
services for fertility regulation and contraception with a
basket of choice.
 Achieve 100% registrations of births, death, marriage and
pregnancy.

 Contain the spread of AIDS and promote greater integration
between the management of reproductive tract infection and
sexually transmitted infections and the national AIDS control
organizations.
 Prevent and control communicable diseases.
 Integrate Indian system of medicine in the provision of
reproductive and child health services and in reaching out to the
levels of total fertility rate.
 Promote vigorously the small family norm to achieve
replacement levels of total fertility rate.
 Bring about convergence in implementation of related social
sector programs so that family welfare becomes a people
centered program.

1. Decentralized planning and program implementation.
2. Convergence of service delivery at village levels.
3. Empowering women for improved health and
nutrition.
4. Child survival and Child Health.
5. Meeting the unmet needs for family welfare services.

6. Under-served population groups:
 Urban slums
 Tribal communities, hill area population and displaced
and migrant populations
 Adolescents
 Increased participation of men in Planned Parenthood.
7. Diverse health care’s providers.
8. Collaboration with and commitments from non-
government organizations and the private sector.

9. Mainstreaming Indian Systems of Medicine and
Homeopathy.
10. Providing for the Older Population.
11. Information, Education
12. Communication.

In order to achieve the objectives and goals of the
National Population Policy, 2000 the following
promotional and motivational measures are enumerated:
 Panchayats and Zila Parishads will be rewarded and
honoured for exemplary performance in universalizing
the small family norm, achieving reduction in infant
mortality and birth rates and promoting literacy with
completion of primary schooling.

 Balika Samridhi Yojana run by the Department of
Women and Child Development, to promote survival
and care of the girl child, will continue. A cash
incentive of Rs. 500 is awarded at the birth of the girl
child of birth order 1 or 2.
 Maternity benefit scheme run by the Department of
Rural Development will continue. A cash incentive of
Rs. 500 is awarded to mothers who have their first
child after 19 years of age, for birth of the 1st and 2nd
child only.

 A family Welfare- linked Health Insurance Plan will
be established. Couples below the poverty line, who
undergo sterilization with not more than 2 living
children's, would become eligible for health insurance
not exceeding Rs 5000, and a personal accident
insurance cover for the spouse undergoing sterilization.
 Couples below the poverty line, who marry after the
legal age of marriage, register the marriage, have their
first child after the mother reaches the age of 21, accept
the family norm, and adopt a terminal method after
birth of 2nd child, will be rewarded.

 A revolving fund will be set up for income- generation
activities by village- level self help groups, who
provide community- level health care services.
 Crèches of childcare centers will be opened in rural
areas and urban slums. This will facilitate and promote
participation of women in paid employment.
 A wider and affordable choice of contraceptives will
be made accessible at diverse delivery points with
counseling service.

 Facilities for safe abortion will be strengthened and
expanded.
 Products and services will be made affordable through
innovative social marketing schemes.
 Local entrepreneurs at village levels will be provided
soft loans and encouraged to run ambulance services to
supplement the existing arrangement for referral
transportation.
 Increased vocational training schemes for girls,
leading to self-employment, will be encouraged.

 Strict enforcement of Child Marriage Restraints Act, 1976.
 Strict enforcement of the pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques
Act, 1994.
 Soft loans to ensure mobility to the ANMs will be
increased.
 The 42nd constitutional amendment has frozen the number
of representatives in loksabha at 1971 census level. The
freeze is currently valid until 2001, and has served as an
incentive for State Government to fearlessly pursue the
agenda for population stabilization. The freeze needs to be
extended until 2026.

National population policy

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National population policy