Govt aims to stabilise population by year 2045

The policy also envisages making school education up to the age of 14 years free and compulsory as one of the 14 national socio-demographic goals to be achieved by 2010.

Interestingly, the proposal for introducing a disincentive scheme for politicians and government employees with more than two children has been dropped after heated debates in policy-making circles.

With a population policy in place, the Government hopes to stop the population level at 110 crore by 2045instead of the projected figure of 116 crore.

The country8217;s population, which was increasing by 15.05 million persons per annum, was, according to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan, likely to touch the one billion mark by May 11 this year. 8220;If the current rate continues, we8217;ll overtake China by the year 2045,8221; he warned.

The other targets set for 2010 include a reduction in the dropout rate at primary and secondary levels to below 20 per cent for both boys and girls; reducing infant mortality rate to below 30 per 1000 live births; reducing maternal mortality below 100 per 100,000 live births; achieving universal immunisation of children against all vaccine preventable diseases; and promoting delayed marriage for girls not earlier than 18 and preferably after 20.

Among the incentives outlined in the policy document are rewarding panchayats and zilla parishads for exemplary performance in universalising the small family norm, achieving reductions in infant mortality and promoting literacy,giving a cash incentive of Rs 500 at the birth of a girl child to promote the care and survival of the girl child up to two children, maternity benefit scheme, health insurance plan for couples below the poverty line who undergo sterilisation with more than two living children and strict enforcement of the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1976, and the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994.

The strength of the Lok Sabha, which now stands at 545 including the two nominated, was last fixed in 1976 through the 42nd amendment Act on the basis of the 1971 census. A new amendment Bill will now be tabled in Parliament before 2001 to extend the freeze.

The Government8217;s decision is likely to set at rest the controversy over the proposed delimitaton exercise. States such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which have been successful in adopting the small family norm, were opposed to the idea of increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats on the basis of the population of various states and union territories.

The immediateobjectives of the population policy, according to Union Health Minister N T Shanmugham, include addressing the need for contraception, health care infrastructure, health personnel and integrated service delivery. The medium-term aims include bringing the total fertility rate to replacement levels by the year 2010 by a vigorous implementation of inter-sectoral strategies. The long-term objectives stress on achieving a stable population by the year 2045 at a level consistent with the requirements of economic growth, social development and environmental protection.