As per World Population Prospect: The 2012 Revision, the population of India is likely to be 1620 million, while the population of Republic of China is likely to be 1385 million by 2050.

 

The projection of population of India by the year 2050 has not been made by the Government. However, as per population projection made by the Government, the population of India is likely to be 1399.8 million by the year 2026.

 

Government of India has been implementing the National Rural Health Mission since 2005 in line with the policy framework of population stabilization as envisaged in NPP-2000, by helping to create a robust service delivery mechanism to address the unmet need for family planning. Government of India is also addressing the social determinants of health, paramount among which are female literacy, women’s empowerment and age at marriage.

 

The Government has taken a number of sustainable measures for stabilization of population. As a result of which the percentage decadal growth rate of the country has declined significantly from 21.54% for the period 1991-2000 to 17.64% during 2001-2011. Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has also declined from 3.6 in 1991 to 2.4 in 2012 as per Sample Registration System (SRS). Details of the measures taken by the Government of India and the achievement thereof aregiven below:

 

Measures being taken for stabilization of population in the country along with success achieved therefrom:

 

On-going Interventions under Family Planning Programme

 

·        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 Centers with ANMs trained in IUD insertion

·        Ensuring quality care in Family Planning services by establishing Quality Assurance Committees at state and district levels

·        Emphasis on MinilapTubectomy services because of its logistical simplicity and requirement of only MBBS doctors and not post graduate gynecologists/ surgeons.

·        Increasing male participation and promotion of ‘Non Scalpel Vasectomy’’.

·        ‘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 sterilizations.

·        Accreditation of more private/ NGO facilities to increase the provider base for family planning services under PPP.

·        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

·        Strong Political Will and Advocacy at the highest level, especially in states with high fertility rates

 

New interventions

 

Family Planning Program has witnessed a paradigm shift from a program resulting in population stabilization to a program ensuring better maternal and child health. The GoI’s new strategy of RMNCH+A encompasses the maternal and child health, adolescent health along with Family planning.

The GoI is now ensuring a greater thrust on spacing methods (especially PPIUCD and IUCD).

Promotion of IUCDs as a short & long term spacing method:

Directive has been issued to the states to notify fixed days/ per week at SHC and PHC level for conducting IUCD insertions.

§  Introduction of Cu IUCD-375 (5 years effectivity) under the Family Planning Programme.

·        Emphasis on Postpartum Family Planning (PPFP) services with introduction of PPIUCD and promotion of minilap as the main mode of providing sterilization in the form of post-partum sterilization to capitalize on the huge cases coming in for institutional delivery under JSY. 

§  Training of service providers is conducted in PPIUCD at DH and SDH level.

§  Appointment of dedicated RMNCH+A counselors at high case load facilities.

·        Assured delivery of family planning services:

§  In last four years all the states have shown their commitment to strengthen fixed day family planning services for both IUCD and sterilization and it has been included under quarterly review mechanism to assess progress made by the states.

·        Scheme for Home delivery of contraceptives by ASHAs at doorstep of beneficiaries has been expanded to the entire country w.e.f.  17^th Dec, 2012.

·        Scheme for ASHAs to ensure spacing in births:

§  Under the scheme, services of ASHAs to be utilized for counseling 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.

§  The scheme is being implemented in 18 states of the country (8 EAG, 8 North East, Gujarat and Haryana).

§  ASHAs are being paid in Rs. the following incentives under the scheme:

o   500/- to ASHA for ensuring spacing of 2 years after marriage.

o   500/- to ASHA for ensuring spacing of 3 years after the birth of 1^stchild

o   1000/- in case the couple opts for a permanent limiting method up to 2 children only

§  The scheme is operational from 16th May 2012.

 

·        Celebration of World Population Day & fortnight (July 11 – July 24):

§  The World Population Day is a step to boost FP efforts all over the country.

§  The event is observed over a month long period, split into an initial fortnight of mobilization/sensitization followed by a fortnight of assured family planning service delivery. It has been made a mandatory activity and budgets approved in advance in PIP of all states.

o   June 27 to July 10: “DampatiSamparkPakhwada” or “Mobilization Fortnight”

o   July 11 to July 24 “JansankhyaSthirthaPakhwada” or “Population Stabilization Fortnight”

Performance:

 

Family Planning indicators:

 

 

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

·        TFR has declined from 2.6 in 2008 to 2.4 in 2012

·        Rate of decline of TFR has increased by 52.3% during 2006-2011 as compared to 2000-2005. Rate of decline from 2000 to 2005 was 9.38% and from 2006 to 2011 was 14.29%.

·        23 States/UTs i.e. Goa, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Mizoram, Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Odisha and 5 UTs i.e. Andaman &Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep have already achieved replacement level fertility (i.e. 2.1 or less).

·        2 States having TFR more than 3 Uttar Pradesh 3.3 and Bihar 3.5 and

·        10 states having TFR between 2.2 and 3.0 viz. Jharkhand 2.8, Chhattisgarh 2.7, Arunachal Pradesh 2.7,  Gujarat 2.3,  Assam 2.4, Haryana 2.3, MP 2.9, Rajasthan 2.9, Dadra & Nagar Haveli 2.9 and Meghalaya 2.9.

 

Physical achievements:

 

 

Following Stratagies have been taken by JansankhyaSthirtataKosh/National Population Stabilization fund as population control measures:

 

Prerna Strategy:-JansankhyaSthirataKosh (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 and the couple who adopt this strategy are awarded suitably. This helps to change the mindsets of the community.

 

Santushti Strategy:- Under this strategy, JansankhyaSthirataKosh, 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 is also running a call centres 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.

 

The Health Minister stated this in a written reply in the RajyaSabha here today.

 

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MV/BK/LK