National Population Policy
As
per the latest World Population Prospects released by United Nations
(revision 2015), the estimated population of India will
be 1419 million approximately whereas China’s population
will be approximately 1409 million, by 2022. In spite of the perceptible
decline in Total Fertility Rate (TFR) from 3.6 in 1991 to 2.3 in 2013,
India is yet to achieve replacement level of 2.1. Twenty four states/UTs
have already achieved replacement level of TFR by 2013, while states
like UP and Bihar with large population base still have TFR of 3.1 and
3.4 respectively. The other states like Jharkhand (TFR 2.7), Rajasthan
(TFR 2.8), Madhya Pradesh (TFR 2.9), and Chhattisgarh (TFR 2.6) continue
to have higher levels of fertility and contribute to the growth of
population.
The National Population Policy 2000, is
uniformly applicable to the whole country. In pursuance of this policy,
Government has taken a number of measures under Family Planning
Programme and as a result, Population Growth Rate in India has reduced
substantially which is evident from the following:-
i. The
percentage decadal growth rate of the country has declined
significantly from 21.5% for the period 1991-2001 to 17.7% during
2001-2011.
ii. Total
Fertility Rate (TFR) was 3.2 at the time when National Population
Policy, 2000 was adopted and the same has declined to 2.3 as per Sample
registration Survey (SRS) 2013 conducted by the Registrar General of
India.
As
the existing NPP-2000 is uniformly applicable to all irrespective of
religions and communities etc., therefore no proposal is under
consideration of the Government to formulate new uniform population
policy. The steps taken by the Government under various
measures/programme are given below:-
Steps/Measures to Control the Population Growth of India by
the Government of India
On-going interventions:
· More emphasis on Spacing methods like IUCD.
· Availability of Fixed Day Static Services at all facilities.
· A
rational human resource development plan is in place for provision of
IUCD, minilap and NSV to empower the facilities (DH, CHC, PHC, SHC) with
at least one provider each for each of the services and Sub Centres
with ANMs trained in IUD insertion.
· Quality care in Family Planning services by establishing Quality Assurance Committees at state and district levels.
· Improving contraceptives supply management up to peripheral facilities.
· Demand generation activities in the form of display of posters, billboards and other audio and video materials in the various facilities.
· National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme’ (NFPIS)
under which clients are insured in the eventualities of deaths,
complications and failures following sterilization and the providers/
accredited institutions are indemnified against litigations in those
eventualities.
· Compensation scheme for
sterilization acceptors - under the scheme MoHFW provides compensation
for loss of wages to the beneficiary and also to the service provider
(& team) for conducting sterilisations.
· Increasing male participation and promotion of Non Scalpel Vasectomy.
· Emphasis
on Miniap Tubectomy services because of its logistical simplicity and
requirement of only MBBS doctors and not post graduate
gynecologists/surgeons.
· Accreditation of more private/NGO facilities to increase the provider base for family planning services under PPP.
· Strong political will and advocacy at the highest level, especially, in States with high fertility rates.
New Interventions under Family Planning Programme
1. Scheme
for Home delivery of contraceptives by ASHAs at doorstep of
beneficiaries: The govt. has launched a scheme to utilize the services
of ASHA to deliver contraceptives at the doorstep of beneficiaries.
2. Scheme for ASHAs to ensure spacing in births: The scheme is operational from 16th May,
2012, under this scheme, services of ASHAs to be utilised for
counselling newly married couples to ensure delay of 2 years in birth
after marriage and couples with 1 child to have spacing of 3 years after
the birth of 1st child. ASHAs are to be paid the following incentives under the scheme:-
a. Rs. 500/- to ASHA for ensuring spacing of 2 years after marriage.
b. Rs. 500/- to ASHA for ensuring spacing of 3 years after the birth of 1st child.
c. Rs. 1000/- in case the couple opts for a permanent limiting method up to 2 children only.The scheme is being implemented in 18 States of the country (8 EAG, 8 NE Gujarat and Haryana).
3. Boost to spacing methods by introduction of new method PPIUCD (Post-Partum Intra Uterine Contraceptives Device.
4. Introduction of the new device Cu IUCD 375, which is effective for 5 years.
5. Emphasis on Postpartum Family Planning (PPFP) services with
introduction of PPIUCD and promotion of minilap as the main mode of
providing sterilisation in the form of post-partum sterilisation to
capitalise on the huge cases coming in for institutional delivery under
JSY.
Assured delivery of family planning services for both IUCD and sterilisation.
6. Compensation for sterilisation acceptors has been enhanced for 11 High Focus States with high TFR.
7. Compensation
scheme for PPIUCD under which the service provider as well as the ASHAs
who escorts the clients to the health facility for facilitating the
IUCD insertion are compensated.
8. Scheme
for provision of pregnancy testing kits at the sub-centres as well as
in the drug kit of the ASHAs for use in the communities to facilitate
the early detection and decision making for the outcome of pregnancy.
9. RMNCH
Counselors (Reproductive Maternal New Born and Child Health)
availability at the high case facilities to ensure counseling of the
clients visiting the facilities.
10. Celebration of World Population Day 11th July & Fortnight: The
event is observed over a month long period, split into fortnight of
mobilization/sensitization followed by a fortnight of assured family
planning service delivery and has been made a mandatory activity from
2012-13 and starts from 27th June each year.
11. FP
2020- Family Planning Division is working on the national and state
wise action plans so as to achieve FP 2020 goals. The key commitments of
FP 2020 are as under :
· Increasing financial commitment on Family Planning whereby India commits an allocation of 2 billion USD from 2012 to 2020.
· Ensuring access to family planning services to 48 million (4.8 crore) additional women by 2020 (40% of the total FP 2020 goal).
· Sustaining the coverage of 100 million (10 crore) women currently using contraceptives.
Reducing the unmet need by an improved access to voluntary family planning services, supplies and information. In
addition to above, Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh/National Population
Stabilization Fund has adopted the following strategies as a population
control measure:-
Prerna Strategy:- JSK
has launched this strategy for helping to push up the age of marriage
of girls and delay in first child and spacing in second child the birth
of children in the interest of health of young mothers and infants. The
couple who adopt this strategy awarded suitably. This helps to change
the mindsets of the community.
Santushti Strategy:-
Under this strategy, Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh, invites private sector
gynaecologists and vasectomy surgeons to conduct sterilization
operations in Public Private Partnership mode. The private
hospitals/nursing home who achieved target to 10 or more are suitably
awarded as per strategy.
National Helpline:
- JSK also running a call centers for providing free advice on
reproductive health, family planning, maternal health and child health
etc. Toll free no. is 1800116555.
Advocacy & IEC activities:- JSK
as a part of its awareness and advocacy efforts on population
stabilization, has established networks and partnerships with other
ministries, development partners, private sectors, corporate and
professional bodies for spreading its activities through electronic
media, print media, workshop, walkathon, and other multi-level
activities etc. at the national, state, district and block level.
