Almost everyone – from the commoner to political parties with their whataboutery – are discussing the draft of the Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilisation and Welfare) Bill, 2021.
The Uttar Pradesh government has designed incentives for families to stay to the two-children norm – this is applicable to government workers also as for the general public . These include monetary promises to those below poverty level (Rs 80,000 to the family of one boy child, Rs 1 lakh for one girl child), increments for public servants, and subsidies. There are disincentives too – like setting a limit of 4 ration cards for state beneficiary families, and barring people from various subsidies. The disincentives are inappropriate because it’s like saying, “Our way or the highway”.
According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS) and Census data, Total birthrate (TFR) has almost reached replacement levels—2.1—at the national level. In UP, TFR has gone down from 3.8 in 2005-06 to a powerful 2.7 in 2016 with none coercive measures by the govt , which too across communities.
The proposed bill has acknowledged several aspects of India’s population problem, but completely overlooked the feminine foeticide and infanticide, as if we’ve already addressed it. The practice is against the law consistent with the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act of 1994 and feminine Infanticide Prevention Act, 1870, but still prevalent in rural areas and, surprisingly, in wealthy families. In 2019, Uttarkashi, a neighborhood in Uttarakhand, was under investigation because records of 132 villages within the district showed no girl child being born for 3 months. this is often not a coincidence and potential evidence of sex-selective abortions.
Missing girl child
The State of World Population 2020 report released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said that there have been 4.6 lakh missing women at birth in India between 2013 and 2017. The country also accounts for nearly one-third of the entire 14.2 crore missing females and is second only to China. Advancement in technology is making sex determination, illegal and made abortions easier. the kid sex ratio of India has declined from 945 in 1991 to 918 in 2011, and in UP from 916 in 2001 to 902 in 2011.
Politically speaking, the Uttar Pradesh bill affects communal harmony and keeping the pot boiling for the tried-and-tested election-winning polarisation formula. Apolitically speaking, such norms have already proven to be counterproductive globally, and harmful to women. In India, many ladies may face divorce to stop their husbands from getting disqualified from elections or government jobs. Large-scale abortions as a possible consequence of this bill may further worsen our sex ratio. the very fact is, despite the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” programme of the govt , the condition of women in India remains deteriorating, and across communities.
There are many reasons behind the present condition of girls , like social preference for boys, the thought that any investment during a girl child goes to waste, pressure of dowry (which is against the law but continues), decline in moral and ethical standards, and increased crimes against women like harassment . Increasing cases of rape also cause the disempowerment of girls , which further leads to more parental barriers. On top of that, politicians passing facile and preposterous comments, like Mulayam Singh Yadav saying, “Ladke, ladke hain…galti ho jati hai (boys are going to be boys…they commit mistakes),” and UP CM Yogi Adityanath writing, “Women power doesn’t require freedom, but protection and channelisation,” also affect the state of girls . Also, the economic opportunities for men are quite that for ladies . consistent with the planet Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report 2021, India slipped 28 places from 112 in 2020 to 140 in 2021 in 156 countries, becoming the third-worst performer in South Asia.
The solution
First, the UP government must attach some clauses within the proposed draft of the population bill recognising the matter of female foeticide and infanticide. Second, the principle that ‘development is that the best contraceptive’ should be considered rather than taking coercive measures to lower the population – it’ll only convince be counterproductive ten years down the road . Third, poverty and poor reach of health services should be tackled. Fourth, sexual awareness must be spread through nukkad natak and advertisements, and target both men and ladies . Men got to be educated to uplift the condition of girls because, in many families, women are still considered to be inferior to men.
Swiftly moving on to deal with the elephant within the room, implementation has been an enormous issue in India and lots of violators have gone scot-free. In such a scenario, laws will only accumulate, and therefore the state will either remain an equivalent or further deteriorate.