Guwahati: Raj Giriraj Singh, the Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj said on Sunday that the Population Control Bill’s implementation is critical for India because of its limited resources.
He emphasised that the bill must be implemented no matter the person’s religion or social class.
Singh said, “The Population Control Bill is crucial as we have limited resources. China implemented ‘one child policy’ to control the population and thus achieved development.”
He further said, “China has 10 children born per minute while India has 30 children, how will we compete with China?”
He added, “Population Control Bill is necessary. Reports say that the country- China- whose GDP was lesser than India in 1978, adopted the ‘one child policy’ and attained development by controlling almost 60 crore population.”
He continued by saying that everyone, regardless of believe or religion, should be subject to the law.
“Those who do not follow this law should not be given any government benefits. Their voting rights should also be taken back,” he added.
According to a UN report, India is expected to overtake China as the world’s most populated nation next year. India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) decreased from 5.9 children per woman in 1950 to 2.2 children per woman in 2020, falling just short of 2.1 replacement level fertility, according to the World Population Prospects 2022.
On July 19, Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health, informed the Upper House that the government aims to stabilise the population by 2045 and that its efforts to slow population growth have been successful.
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS 5), contemporary contraceptive use has climbed to 56.5%, while the unmet need for family planning is only 9.4%, Bharati Pawar further informed the House.
She claimed that the crude birth rate (CBR), as reported by the Sample Registration System of the Census, had decreased to 19.7 per 1,000 persons in 2019.
Parliament’s Monsoon Session began on July 18 and will last till August 12. The Session will consist of 18 sittings.