On October 12, the Supreme Court passed a judgement that the two-child norm was in the interest of the nation. The very same morning, at a conference on the National Consultation on Gender and Health in Delhi, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss declared that enforcing the two-child norm was against the fundamental rights of the people. "We favour a voluntary, informed-choice and target-free approach to family planning," he said. The contradiction highlights the confusion and the differences in implementing the population policy in the country. It has also provoked a raging debate on the best way forward.

PICTURE SPEAK

TWO GOOD: The population policy aims at an average of two children per couple

The National Population Policy (NPP) 2000 shies away from specific targets. Its aim is population stabilisation rather than control. "The NPP promotes the small family norm, not a two-child norm," says A.R. Nanda, former secretary in the Department of Family Welfare who was closely involved in formulating the NPP. The focus is on improving health infrastructure and meeting the need for contraception. "In principle, the NPP is against incentives and disincentives," adds Nanda.

However, it is a different scenario in Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. The Panchayati Raj legislations in these states debar anyone with more than two children from becoming a panchayat member. The rationale is that a panchayat member is a model for the rest of the village. There was even an attempt to extend this policy to the membership of Parliament. Although it is seen as contrary to the NPP, "the two-child norm has not been revoked in any of these states", points out Jashodhara Dasgupta, an activist with the NGO Healthwatch UP/Bihar.

Many agree that a two-child norm is a must for a nation with over a billion people. The view has been upheld by the Supreme Court in at least three cases. Last week, in the case of Zile Singh, who was disqualified as a municipal member under the Haryana Municipal Act 1994 (Second Amendment), it said, "It is in the national interest to check the growth of population by casting disincentives even through legislation."

JUDGEMENT

"It is in the interest of the nation to check the growth of population by casting disincentives even through legislation." DIFFERENT VOICES Proponents of the two-child norm feel it is the only way to solve India's population problem. And that there should be incentives and disincentives. Others say that people are aware of the need for small families. Population is increasing due to the unmet need for contraception. The National Population Policy advocates a human-rights based approach to population. It says people should make an informed choice.

For the proponents of the two-child norm, Andhra Pradesh is the model state where population growth declined from 24.2 per cent in 1981-91 to 13.8 per cent in 1991-2001. Andhra Pradesh gives cash incentives for couples opting for two children. But, as others point out, its success can also be attributed to the fact that it stresses on reproductive- and child-health projects. More than half its phcs offer birth-control measures. The other success state is Kerala, which leads the country in low population growth. It achieved an average of two children per couple not with incentives or coercion but good development practices like high literacy.

India's population train is actually slowing down. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the average number of children per couple has declined from five in 1974 to three now. Although the numbers are high in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the family size has shrunk slightly. Nevertheless, the nation's numbers swell by 17 million every year. "There are so many young people that even if all of them have only two children when they reach reproductive age, it would still mean a huge addition to the population," says Ena Singh, assistant representative, UNFPA.

It is not because of lack of awareness that some have large families, it is due to a lack of access to contraceptives. The India Country report of the Department of Family Welfare shows that unwanted pregnancy accounts for 25 per cent of the additional increase in population.

A study by the NGO Commercial Market Strategies shows that 28 per cent of married women want only one child, 13 per cent want a two-year gap before they have their next child. Providing contraceptive choices and health services will help. So will sensitising men.

The two-child norm, on the contrary, could worsen the already skewed sex ratio. Says Singh: "Many families feel that if they can have only two children, they want them to be boys." In a country as complex as India, successfully implementing a population policy can never be easy.

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