UP Law Commission submits draft population control bill to CM Yogi; firm on 2-child policy

On Monday, the UP Law Commission submitted the draft Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilization and Welfare) Bill, 2021, to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Until July 19, 8500 suggestions and objections were received on this bill which is likely to be introduced in the Monsoon session of the state legislature. Justifying the need for introducing population control measures, the UP Law Commission cited that Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Odisha, MP and Chhattisgarh had already barred persons with over two children from contesting local body polls and government jobs. 

It also dismissed a suggestion to allow a third child after two daughters, stressing that it will be a never-ending quest for a male child. Earlier, Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh told Parliament that the Centre has no plan to introduce a new policy to arrest the growth of the population in India. This was in response to unstarred questions by Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi and BJP MP Anil Agarwal on whether the Union government is mulling such a policy, its main points and the details of effective steps to stop population growth. 

UP's draft bill on population control

The provisions of the aforesaid legislation will come into force only after one year from the date of publication in the Gazette. It shall be applicable to the entire state of Uttar Pradesh. As per the bill, a public servant and a common person who adopts the two-child norm by undergoing voluntary sterilization operation upon himself or his house will be entitled to benefits such soft loan for constructing or buying a house at nominal interest rates, rebate on charges for utilities etc. 

Any person aged 45 and above who has one child who has turned 10 and has undergone sterilization operation upon himself or his spouse will get additional incentives such as free health care facilities and insurance for the child till the age of 20, free education up to graduation for the child along with a preference for admission in all educational institutions preference for the child in government jobs and scholarship for higher studies in case of a girl child. The UP government will also pay a one-time lumpsum amount to such couples.  The bill also prescribes disincentives for those who violate the two-child policy.

They will be barred from receiving benefits of government-sponsored schemes, contesting an election to local bodies, applying to government jobs, getting promoted in government services and receiving any kind of government subsidy. The exceptions to the law include multiple births out of second pregnancy, adoption up to two children, disability of the first or second child, death of a child and so forth. Meanwhile, the UP government will set up a state population fund and shall establish maternity centres at all primary health care centres, distribute and encourage the use of contraceptive pills and condoms and introduce population control in the school curriculum.