significance of population control bill essay

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What is Population Control Bill? Know its legal challenges and constitutional roots

Population control bill in india aims at disincentivizing couples from giving birth to more than two children. know more about the bill that proposes to bring india's population problem under control. .

Population Control Bill in India: Actor-turned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Kishan on July 22, 2022, said that he was going to introduce a private member’s Population Control Bill in the Lok Sabha. Reportedly, the BJP leader said that we can be Vishwa Guru only when the Population Control Bill is brought and is important to bring the population under control. The latest statement has again sparked a debate on Population Control Bill, whether the law will be implemented, what effect it will have on the citizens, and whether it will be linked to employment or other government benefits as well.

We can be Vishwa Guru only when Population Control Bill is brought. Very imp to bring population under control. With the way in which it's rising, we're heading towards explosion.I request Oppn to let me introduce Bill & listen to why I want to do it. Discuss!: BJP MP Ravi Kishan pic.twitter.com/9jz32k9Vmk — ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2022

What is Population Control Bill?

While the United Nations report that India has more than 1.4 billion people which makes the country the world’s second-most populous country, the world population review predicts that India will overtake China as the world’s most populous country by the year 2030.

The Population Control Bill in India of 2019, which was withdrawn in 2022, proposed a two-child policy per couple and aimed to incentivize its adoption through educational benefits, better employment opportunities, free healthcare, tax cuts, and home loans.

The proposed Population Control Bill in India aims at disincentivizing couples from giving birth to more than two children. The bill states that couples with more than two children policy be made ineligible for government jobs and subsidies on various facilities and goods provided by the government.

Population Control Bill in India: What does the Constitution Say?

Article 22 of the 1969 Declaration on Social Progress and Development, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in a resolution, ensures that the couples have a right to choose freely and responsibly the number of children they will have.

Population Control Bill in India: What is the constitutional challenge if the law is introduced?

Population Control Bill or Two Child Policy has been introduced in the Parliament of India 35 times since Independence. If enacted, the Population Control Bill must take into account the rights of divorced couples as well as the Islamic religion.

What position states have taken on Population Control Bill?

The Assam Assembly in 2017 passed the ‘Population and Women’s Empowerment Policy of Assam’, which stated that candidates with two children would only be eligible for government employment, and existing government employees were directed to follow the two-child family norm.

In 2021, Assam Policy was amended to make the government jobs out of bounds for people with more than two children.

Population Control Bill in India: What are the ramifications of such law?

Population control bill in other countries.

• China has taken a lead in instituting a strict one-child policy for families. It is the world’s most populous country.
• Kenya has launched a family planning campaign with the goal of matching population size to the available resources.
• Russia, on the other hand, has been experiencing a population decline because of the high mortality rates which are likely due to factors such as alcohol and drugs.

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The ethics issue: Should we impose population controls?

Future generations risk inheriting an overcrowded, suffocating planet. Taking action may mean what was taboo is now common sense

By Daniel Cossins

5 July 2017

Ian Hooton/SPL/Getty

Look after future generations vs Realise human potential

Fears that we are too many are nothing new. As long ago as 1798, the English writer Thomas Malthus warned that a growing population would eat its way through the planet’s finite resources, condemning millions to die of starvation .

Read more: The ethics issue – The 10 biggest moral dilemmas in science

Science has given us the power to design life, reshape the planet and colonise other worlds. but should we new scientist grapples with the big ethical questions.

We haven’t exhausted our supplies quite yet, but seven billion people later our planet’s ability to support us all comfortably does appear to be under threat. If we all lived like affluent Americans, say, resource consumption and carbon emissions would be at unsustainable levels. Given the clear and present dangers posed by climate change, how can we look after future generations without keeping half of the world’s population in poverty?

For Travis Rieder, a bioethicist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the answer is reducing birth rates – and not in the places you might expect. When it comes to climate change, says Rieder, “my American kid is way more problematic than the many children a family might have in poor, high-birth-rate countries”. And should the worst consequences of climate change come to pass, it will be the poorest that suffer most severely. So let’s assume that the West is incapable of slashing carbon emissions or finding a technological silver bullet (see “ The ethics issue: Should we geoengineer the planet? “). In this case, we are obliged to explore all options, including the taboo subject of population control. “It’s the…

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Explained | Population control law, its Constitutional roots and legal challenges

Here's everything you need to know about population control law, its constitutional foundations and legal challenges. read on to find out..

Listen to Story

What is population control law

While the United Nations reports that India has more than 1.4 billion people, making it the world's second-most populous country, the world population review predicts that India will overtake China as the world's most populous country by 2030.

What does the Constitution say

What is the constitutional challenge if such a law is introduced, position taken by states.

In 2017, the Assam Assembly passed the "Population and Women's Empowerment Policy of Assam", which stated that candidates with two children would only be eligible for government employment and existing government employees were directed to follow the two-child family norm. In 2021, the state policy was amended to make government jobs out of bounds for people with more than two children.

Cases in courts

In response to a PIL filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay challenging a Delhi High Court order dismissing a plea seeking certain steps, including a two-child norm for population control, the Centre told the Supreme Court in 2020 that India is unequivocally opposed to imposing family planning on its people and that any coercion to have a certain number of children is counter-productive and leads to demographic distortions.

What are the ramifications of such a law?

Coercive population control measures would encourage sex-selection and unsafe abortion given the collective desire for a male child.

What do other countries' population control laws look like

China , the world's most populous country, has taken the lead in instituting a strict one-child policy for families.

Kenya launched family planning campaigns with the goal of matching population size to available resources.

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The Population Control Bill, 2021: Exploring newer perspectives

Prerana nagabhushana.

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India

Avir Sarkar

2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad, Haryana, India

Dear Editor,

As we observe World Population Day on July 11 th , the current population stands at roughly 7.9 billion in 2021, with India bagging second place at 1.39 billion.[ 1 ] The net growth rate stands at 1.1% or 83 million per year and the projected world population by 2050 is estimated to be 9.7 billion![ 1 ] These figures are alarming to us-the millennials, who grew up writing ominous essays on “population explosion” at school. Governments across the world, historically Romania to more recently China, have adopted population policies to control the rate of population growth to cater to their advantage-either economically or politically. Some of them are directly against reproductive rights- to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing, and timing of their children and to be able to do so without discrimination, coercion, and violence.[ 2 ]

If we look at the demographic profile of India, the current fertility rate is around 2.3, while the replacement fertility rate is 2.1, with Bihar (3.3), Uttar Pradesh (3.1), Madhya Pradesh (2.8), Jharkhand (2.6), and Chhattisgarh (2.5) in the lead.[ 3 ] As per predictions of the United Nations, the population of India is expected to supersede China by 2027.[ 1 ] An expanding population raises pressing concerns in terms of equitable resource allocation, access to basic necessities and healthcare, economic impact, and quality of life. More recently, the pandemic has driven home the need to eliminate the densely populated demographic profile that is inherent to metro cities of India. Growing demands of a humongous population have already left the health facilities drained and sapped. These dire projections have led many to consider population control measures.

The draft of the proposed population control bill by the Government of the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has hit the news, eliciting mixed reactions amongst the public. On one hand, this bill commendably stresses accessibility to contraception and safe abortion services as well as improvement of reproductive health. On the other hand, it proposes incentives to couples adopting the 2-child or 1-child norms, such as salary increments, attractive subsidies, many benefits to the single child, and free health facilities. It also disincentivizes those who violate the 2-child norm by cutting back on promotions or consideration for Government jobs/Benefit schemes and also barring them from contesting in local bodies.

Amongst all its benefits, what the UP Government has failed to consider is the effect of the pandemic on the population profile. If we analyze statistics, most COVID-related deaths were among the elderly in India, making the size of the workforce nearly constant.[ 4 ] On the other hand, the disability related to the disease has left the younger crowd less productive. Hence there is a need for a young, skilled workforce in the future. Unlike the previous pandemics, the so-called baby boom is not likely to happen since the impact is going to be prolonged; there is no role of replacement conception. Also, economic anxiety is likely to reduce fertility rates.[ 5 ] In concordance, China has seen a decline in growth rate post-pandemic and has jumped from 1-child norm to 3-child norm!

Moreover, the bill is being viewed as “coercion” and directly opposed to the reproductive rights of couples. It also pushes for permanent birth control rather than spacing-which is the real need of the hour. While its focus on reproductive health and access to services is noteworthy and encouragement to girl children laudable, its stubborn promotion of the 1-child norm can be seen as unfair. However, the Government has generously invited suggestions concerning the draft of the bill and has received many enthusiastic responses. This seems to be a democratic step in policy-making. On a closing note, having a draconian population control bill is unlikely to benefit the public it is designed to serve and in addition, backfire politically as well. One report estimates that around 2.7 million unintended pregnancies have occurred due to lack of access to contraception in low and middle-income countries during the pandemic![ 4 ] Accordingly, it would be apt to focus on educating the population on contraceptive measures and ensure safe access to reproductive health.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Essay on How Population Control Bill Help or Harm a Society

A very common topic of the human population that remained not so common in today’s era. The increase in the population of humans results in the soaking of natural resources and the growth and development of our country and various states. To evade and escape from this parlous situation that is also engulfing Uttar Pradesh’s state. A bill of population control by the state law commission of Uttar Pradesh is getting introduced in front of people.

Short and Long Essay on How Population Control Bill Help or Harm a Society in English

Moving forward to this bill we will get to know about what is there in this bill, why this population bill is necessary, how it will help in sustainable development etc. There are so many things that are needed to understand. Let us take a concise view of this upcoming bill.

10 Lines Essay on How Population Control Bill Help or Harm a Society (100-120 Words)

1) Growing population is a major concern in some states of India.

2) To manage the growing population, a population control bill is proposed.

3) Uttar Pradesh population control and stabilization welfare board suggested this bill.

4) A.N. Mittal, Chairman of the Law Commission drafted this law.

5) This law is released by the state law commission of Uttar Pradesh in 2021.

6) Family planning and the two-child policy were enforced under this law.

7) Increasing population is directly related to increasing poverty.

8) Population Control Bill will help in the economic development of the country.

9) This bill will help to empower women in various ways.

10) It will also help in reducing unemployment and increasing available resources.

Long Essay on How Population Control Bill Help or Harm a Society – 1200 Word

Introduction

According to census 2011, Uttar Pradesh with a population of 20 crores, is supposed to increase to 24 crores by the 2022 census. To become an ideal state, a kind of revitalizing efforts are needed. As a result of population growth that is continuously expanding daily and to stabilize the arising population growth, a draft of a population control bill was proposed by the Uttar Pradesh population control and stabilization welfare board. Let’s discuss the point related to this population control bill.

What is Population Control Bill 2021?

On World Population Day 2021, the state law commission Uttar Pradesh has released a draft bill on population control. This bill is prepared under the supervision of the Chairman of the Law Commission A.N. Mittal. This act shall be called the Uttar Pradesh Population (control, stabilization, and welfare) Act, 2021. This bill is mainly introduced to promote the two-child policy, family planning, and control the expanding population day by day.

Its mainstream policy is introducing two-child norms within the state. The Law Commission is working mainly on “Hum Do Hamare Do” policy. The bill has several other conditions involved in this policy relating to two children, one child, and no child. The bill will get implemented on both the public servants as well as the general public.

This bill is effective after one year, only when a draft of the population bill will get a green signal and will be enacted as a law. This bill has several terms and conditions which are needed to understand deeply by the citizens of Uttar Pradesh.

Why Population Control Bill is Necessary?

This bill is introducing a two-child policy that aims to cease population growth and achieve a goal of sustainable development.

There are limited resources in Uttar Pradesh both ecologically and economically at hand. Basic needs of human life which include affordable foodstuffs, housing, safe drinking water, good quality education, livelihood opportunities, electricity consumption, etc. are needed to be equally distributed among the citizens. For equal distribution of this stuff, these resources should be accessible. For accessibility of these resources, we should stop increasing the growth in the human population.

If there is more population and fewer resources, it is impossible to equally distribute the stuff among people. Less production and more consumption will become a problem for the state to survive. Applying this bill one can get the benefits given by the Government more effectively.

It will be easy for the Government to distribute materials efficiently which are made for use of citizens. If we look upon the demography of Uttar Pradesh, the population of Uttar Pradesh is on the fifth number after the world’s top 4countries’ population. It is clear with this data that now if we can’t stop our growth rate, things will be difficult to manage in the future. Secondly, we should not only think about ourselves but we should think about our future generations also because if all the resources are distributed to us only, resources will become inadequate for them, how will they survive if resources are insufficient for them.

The Situation is becoming irresistible day by day. To overcome this huge problem of population growth and attain a goal of sustainable development population control bill is necessary.

How Population Control Bill Helps in Sustainable Development

The sustainable development goal 3 of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development is to ensure healthy lives and promoting well-being for all of all ages. If we do a small change in family size, there will be a big change in the future population and hence we are able to attain sustainable development. There are a number of reasons which need to explain that how this bill helps in sustainable development.

Key points that are important for consideration and by application of this bill the chances of attaining these goals will be easier. You will get to see a change in the following points after the application of the population control bill:

• Wide changes in gender inequality.
• Clean water and sanitation will be available.
• Better implication of Quality education.
• Good health and well-being will be provided.
• Affordable and clean energy will be available.
• Peace and harmony will increase.
• Justice and strong intuitions.
• Less population will get sufficient and responsible consumption and production.
• Sustainable cities and communities.
• Unemployment will be reduced.
• There is more good innovation and infrastructure.
• There will be better economic growth and work will be available.
• Poverty will be reduced.

Application of the population control bill is necessary to attain these goals and attaining these goals sustainable development will be achieved.

How Population Control Bill will Help or Harm a Society?

The population control bill has no such harm for society. This bill is introduced to attain the sustainable development goals which are very much needed in the present situation we are facing. In simple words, this can be explained by discussing some of the points related to it.

The high fertility rates will lead a country or state to poverty. According to the World Bank, poverty is not going to decrease in 2021, and thus there will be low economic growth in affected countries or states. Now if we only count the population of Uttar Pradesh itself it has a large population growth; around 20 crores. There are half of the resources available in this state in comparison to the population growth of this state. Considering this point if there is large family size, poverty will often go hand in hand.

People without family planning have to face problems like they cannot invest more in their child, hence they can’t afford much on their education and many other things are there which somewhere creating problem in SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). The population control bill helps to overcome these problems. It will lead people to stop and think about the reality of today’s world in which they are living and the need of the present situation. If there is less production and more consumption situation will become scary in the future. This bill will help to evade this situation.

Secondly, Investment in quality education is the main key to discard poverty, reduce unemployment, and end population growth. Good quality of education will be provided if there is less population, for example in case of a girl child who is often deprived of education will get chance to empower themselves their family, state and the nation as a whole. Having fewer children will give a woman to empower herself through various means. All these problems are needed to stabilize and it is only possible when the right law or population control bill will be implemented for population growth and thus it helps the society.

To the maintenance of the production and consumption and for the sake of future planning, it is necessary to implement a law on expanding population thus only problems like unemployment will be reduced and there will be a better scenario for jobless people. If there is less number of people, more adequately the produce will be distributed. Consumption and production will be in stabilizing ratio. So overall it turns out to be a good deal.

FAQs: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Ans . It is commemorated on July 11 every year.

Ans . India holds the second rank in terms of population after China.

Ans . Uttar Pradesh holds the first position of the most populous state in India.

Ans . Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan are the states where the population bill has already been applied.

Ans . The chairman of the State Law Commission A.N. Mittal has drafted the bill.

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Essay on Population Control

Students are often asked to write an essay on Population Control in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Population Control

Understanding population control.

Population control refers to the measures taken by governments or other groups to manage the size of a human population. This is often done to prevent overpopulation, which can strain resources and harm the environment.

The Need for Population Control

Overpopulation can lead to scarcity of resources like food, water, and shelter. It can also increase pollution and contribute to global warming. Therefore, controlling population growth is crucial for sustainable living.

Methods of Population Control

Methods include education about family planning, providing access to contraception, and implementing policies that limit family size. These measures can help achieve a balanced population.

250 Words Essay on Population Control

Introduction.

Population control refers to the practice of intentionally managing the number of inhabitants in a region to mitigate social and environmental issues. Rapid population growth can strain resources, intensify poverty, and exacerbate environmental degradation.

The Necessity of Population Control

The world’s population stands at approximately 7.8 billion, a figure that has seen a steep rise over the last century. This population explosion places immense pressure on natural resources, leading to deforestation, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Furthermore, it exacerbates social issues such as overcrowding, unemployment, and inadequate public services. Hence, population control is crucial to ensuring sustainable development.

Population control can be achieved through various strategies. Family planning and education, particularly for women, are effective methods. They empower individuals with knowledge about reproductive health and birth control, enabling them to make informed choices. Government policies can also play a significant role, such as providing incentives for smaller families or implementing laws to limit family size.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

While population control is necessary, it raises ethical questions. It’s imperative that any measures respect individual rights and freedoms. Forced sterilizations or coercive population control policies infringe upon human rights and should be avoided.

In conclusion, population control is a complex yet necessary endeavor. It requires a careful balance of education, policy implementation, and respect for individual rights. By managing population growth, we can work towards a sustainable future where resources are used efficiently, and the environment is preserved.

500 Words Essay on Population Control

Population control refers to the strategies employed by governments and organizations to manage the size of human populations. This is often necessary to prevent overpopulation, which can strain resources and lead to socio-economic problems. However, population control is a complex issue with ethical, political, and environmental implications.

Overpopulation is a significant global concern. It puts immense pressure on natural resources, exacerbating environmental degradation and climate change. With the current rate of population growth, the demand for resources like food, water, and energy is rapidly outpacing supply. This imbalance can lead to resource depletion, environmental pollution, and an increase in diseases due to overcrowding.

Moreover, overpopulation can lead to socio-economic problems such as unemployment, poverty, and inadequate healthcare and education services. Therefore, population control is crucial to ensure sustainable development and improve the quality of life.

Population control strategies vary based on cultural, political, and economic contexts. One common method is family planning, which includes contraceptive use, sterilization, and abortion services. Governments often promote family planning through public awareness campaigns and by providing access to contraception.

Another approach is implementing policies that incentivize smaller families. These can include tax benefits, priority in public services, and educational scholarships for families with fewer children.

Challenges in Population Control

While the necessity of population control is clear, its implementation is fraught with challenges. First, there are ethical issues surrounding the right to procreate. Some argue that implementing population control infringes on this fundamental human right.

Second, there are gender issues. In some societies, women bear the brunt of population control measures, often facing coercion into sterilization or contraception use.

Third, there are socio-cultural barriers. In many cultures, large families are valued, and attempts to limit family size can be met with resistance.

Population control is a critical component in addressing global challenges such as resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and socio-economic inequality. However, its implementation must be thoughtful and sensitive to cultural, ethical, and gender issues. It’s essential to strike a balance between the necessity of population control and respecting individual rights and cultural values. As we move forward, we must continue to explore and develop strategies that promote sustainable population growth.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on World Population Day
• Essay on Increasing Population
• Essay on Effects of Overpopulation

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Civilsdaily

No. 1 UPSC IAS Platform for preparation

Labour, Jobs and Employment – Harmonization of labour laws, gender gap, unemployment, etc.

Issues with population control bill.

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Not much

Mains level: Need for Population Control Policy

The Rajya Sabha has discussed a Private Member’s Bill on population regulation.

The Population Control Bill

• First introduced in 2019, it is a private member bill proposed by Rakesh Sinha.
• The purpose of the bill was to control the population growth of India.
• The proposed bill then was signed by 125 Members of Parliament (MP) and is yet to become an act of law.

It seeks to amend Article 47 by inserting article 47A to the Constitution of India. It proposes that-

• The State shall promote small family norms by offering incentives in taxes, employment, education etc. to its people who keep their family limited to two children
• The state shall withdraw every concession from and deprive such incentives to those not adhering to small family norm, to keep the growing population under control.

Key provisions

• Penalties: The 2019 bill talked about introducing penalties for couples not adhering to the two-child policy such as debarment from contesting in elections and ineligibility for government jobs.
• Two-child policy: The 2020 bill proposes to introduce a two-child policy per couple.
• Incentivizing adoption: It shall incentivize adoption through various measures such as educational benefits, taxation cuts, home loans, free healthcare, and better employment opportunities.
• Birth spacings: It also proposes to ensure healthy birth spacing through measures related to augmenting the availability, accessibility and affordability of quality reproductive health services.

Issues with penal provisions

• Alienation: If a family was penalized for more than two children, then the third child would develop a feeling of alienation that he is an unwanted child.
• Bar on Women: The biggest victim of such would be women, irrespective of religion. They would be debarred in political participation.
• Selective abortions: In India, the preference for male children may lead to a greater anti-female child sex selection because parents will only have “two attempts” to have babies.
• Violation of reproductive autonomy: To control and regulate the number of children a family can have is a gross violation of human rights, the right to self-determination and an individual’s reproductive autonomy.
• Violation of Individual Privacy: A right to procreation is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution but it comes under the ambit of Article 21, as discussed in Jasvir Singh vs State of Punjab.
• Remarriage issues: A divorced person who has two children with a prior partner cannot bear a child with their next spouse.

Why need such policy?

• India had a land availability of only 1.2 hectare per person, while the resources that get regenerated automatically was 0.43 only.
• We are an ecological debtor. The ecological footprint which we use and the gap between their regeneration is 187%.
• If this continued for 30 years, then resources would be exhausted and people would not be able to lead a dignified life.
• Some people see demographic dividend in the growing population but it was being used as cheap labour globally.

Way forward

• The population of India is seen as the biggest obstacle to its economic development.
• It is the fall guy for governments seeking to justify their incompetence.
• No legislation must be enacted unless its future impact and social effect are first completely realized.

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Essay on population controll bill for descriptive paper, paragraph 1, introduction.

Recently, two Indian states – Uttar Pradesh and Assam, have advocated aggressive population control measures. With ongoing trends, India will overtake China as the most populous country by 2025 or perhaps sooner.

In 2001, India became the second country after China to cross the one billion mark. The current population is around 1.38 billion.

Therefore, the ‘Population Control Bill‘ (Population Regulation Bill) was introduced in Rajya Sabha in the year 2019. This bill is mainly introduced to promote the two-child policy, family planning, and control the expanding population day by day.

It also recommends incentives for government jobs, subsidies, and extra benefits under the public distribution system for those with two or fewer children. Other people will be denied these benefits.

Paragraph 2

Population control act 2016.

This act came into force in the year 2016. According to this act, no person shall procreate more than two living children after a period of one year from the commencement of this act.

It came up with a two-child policy, famously known as “ham do humare do” which has been frequently used in public via advertisements.

The two-child policy is a government-imposed limit of two children allowed per family, with the perks of government subsidies given only to the first two children.

Therefore, the population bill is not new to Indians.

Paragraph 3

Necessity of the bill.

To equally distribute basic needs like housing, foodstuffs, drinking water, quality education, job opportunities, etc. among the citizens from the available resources.

If there are more population and fewer resources, it is impossible to equally distribute resources among people.

We should also think about our future generations. If all the resources are distributed to us only, how will our future generation survive with insufficient resources?

As the population rises, so will poverty. This further increases other problems like illiteracy, unemployment, and inflation.

Therefore, to tackle all of these, there is a need for a population control bill/act so we can achieve the goal of sustainable development.

Paragraph 4

Advantages/contribution of the bill.

There are many reasons, why this bill will help the country in sustainable development. The goal of sustainable development is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages. If we do a small change in family planning/size, there will be a big change in the future population and we will be able to attain sustainable development.

Some changes we can see after implementing the population control bill:

• Changes in gender inequality
• Availability of clean water and sanitation
• Better implication of quality education
• Better health/medical services for all
• People will get justice in less time
• Unemployment will be reduced, and so will poverty.

Paragraph 5

Disadvantages of the bill.

Still, many families in India want a male child. So, families can easily deny government benefits which will result in more sex-selective abortions like in China during the one-child policy.

Many women do not have a say in family matters. So, with this law, they may even lose control over their body because the male head of the family may control the women to avail of government benefits.

Most people with more than three children are poor. So, denying subsidies and benefits of government schemes will push them into more poverty.

Lack of awareness and availability of contraceptives result in more children. So, punishing the people with no awareness instead of educating them will be the mistake of the government.

Paragraph 6

Concerns/issues of the bill.

A large population is not necessarily a bad thing for the economy. Population controlling measures will result in fewer people working for the economy which would lead the country to de-industrialization.

There would be poor demand for investment in places where companies encounter a falling population of consumers.

China enforced a one-child policy in the 1980s, but with an increasing share of older people in its population, China abandoned the old policy and encouraged couples to have more children now.

The bogey of population explosion is directly or indirectly used to target a particular minority in India. In this context, the bill will impact social harmony.

Paragraph 7

Possible solutions/way forward.

According to the government’s population projections, 53.6% of India’s population in 2021 is under the age of 29. More than a quarter of India’s population is 14 years or younger. Our policymakers should focus on exploiting India’s demographic dividend rather than worrying about it.

India is still nowhere close to guaranteeing possible opportunities to young Indians. This young population can be extremely productive after upgrading the skill sets they require.

Education of women also plays a vital role in fertility rates. Hence, educating them will help in bringing down fertility and early birth among women.

Paragraph 8

India is at a stage of demographic transition where mortality rates are declining and fertility rates would decline in the next two to three decades or so. This leads to a scope to cut population growth because India still has a positive growth rate.

For the maintenance of production and consumption and the sake of future planning, it is necessary to implement a law on expanding population thus only problems like unemployment will be reduced and there will be a better scenario for jobless people.

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Recently, two Members of Parliament of the Bharatiya Janata Party introduced in the Lok Sabha a private members’ Bill aimed at population control in India.

Major Highlights 

• The Bill seeks to insert a new directive principle in Part IV of the Constitution enjoining the State to take all steps to control population growth by promoting small family norms and achieve a stable population. 
• The Bill also makes it a fundamental duty for citizens to adopt small family norms and work towards a stable population of the country.

The rationale behind the bill

• Population rise is the most significant reason for India’s slow rate of development, and the Bill argues for an immediate need for population control. 
• Rapid population growth will lead to problems and extreme poverty.
• Policies framed by various governments have not been able to control the population and t here is no law on population control.
•  A rising population limits the ability of the State to provide a better quality of life to its citizens since a large chunk of national income is spent on maintaining the existing facilities.
• There is a need for a law on population so that every Indian reaps more benefits from economic growth and deals with challenges posed by fast population growth.

the Discourse and  Debate around India’s rising population

• The debate and the discourse around India’s rising population are not recent, having begun since Independence. 
• India was among the first nations to address its population problem as early as 1951, raising awareness about the ills of overpopulation. 
•  In 1950, the TFR was at around 5.9%, and is now 2% (fifth round of the National Family Health Survey, or NFHS). 
• There was a steep decline after the 1970s, indicating an inversely proportional relationship between economic prosperity and the fertility rate.
• The entirety of this discourse around such a sensitive issue is often reduced to a petty religious issue, and, ultimately, the subject of development suffers.
• In 2022 Uttar Pradesh governmen t came up with the Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilisation, and Welfare) Bill, 2021. 
• For instance, the Bill said that no government job would be offered to couples with more than two children.
•  However, there was no clarification about what would happen to a person who had a third child after being in a government job or if, for some reason, a person with two children remarried and had a third child.
• The Bill was seen to strengthen political polarisation and facilitate the politics of majority appeasement.

Conclusion and Suggestions 

• The one-child policy has proved to be disastrous, causing a demographic imbalance. 
• The population of China is aging faster than in any other modern country, owing to the policies of forced population control.
• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has countered the need for such a law by saying, “forced population control can have very dangerous consequences, it can create a gender imbalance”. 
• Any forced control method will impact the rate of aging.  

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The Birth Control Pill

Written by: Vincent Cannato, University of Massachusetts Boston

By the end of this section, you will:.

• Explain how and why various groups responded to calls for the expansion of civil rights from 1960 to 1980

Suggested Sequencing

Use this Narrative with the Phyllis Schlafly and the Debate over the Equal Rights Amendment Narrative and the National Organization for Women (NOW), Bill of Rights, 1968 Primary Source while discussing the various civil rights movements occurring during the 1970s to specifically target the issues of women at the time.

No individual is more responsible for the modern birth control movement than Margaret Sanger. Born in 1879, Sanger was one of 11 children born to Irish immigrant parents in upstate New York. The premature death of her mother at the age of 49 years, her health weakened by so many pregnancies, deeply affected Sanger. Before World War I, she lived in lower Manhattan and worked as a nurse among working-class immigrant women. Influenced by the politically radical and bohemian environment of Greenwich Village at the time, Sanger began to promote the use of contraception. She believed reducing unwanted pregnancies was a way to empower and liberate women.

Margaret Sanger was one of the original and most influential birth control advocates in the United States.

At the time, reliable means of birth control were few (birth control pills were not introduced until 1960), and their use was highly restricted in the United States. The Victorian Era placed great emphasis on sexual restraint and chastity, and in the 1870s, a postal inspector named Anthony Comstock led a nationwide movement against what he defined as sexual vice and obscenity. In response, Congress passed a series of laws named the Comstock Laws, which prohibited the use of the U.S. mails to send obscene materials, contraceptives, or any item promoting the use of contraceptives. In addition, many states passed their own “Comstock laws.” Connecticut and Massachusetts, for instance, banned the use of contraceptives as well as their distribution.

In 1916, Sanger opened the nation’s first birth control clinic in Brooklyn, New York. Soon after, she was arrested and convicted of illegally distributing contraceptives. The clinic was shut down and Sanger spent 30 days in jail. The next year, she created the magazine Birth Control Review to provide the public with information about birth control. In 1921, she helped found the American Birth Control League to educate Americans about birth control and to work toward opening birth control clinics in partnership with medical professionals. In 1942, the organization changed its name to Planned Parenthood.

The cover of an edition of th Birth Control Review from 1919.

However, there was also strong public opposition to contraception. Many Americans saw increased access to contraception as a threat to traditional sexual morality. The Catholic Church was actively opposed to artificial contraception. In the Northeast especially, where Catholics were greatest in number, state legislatures resisted attempts to overturn bans on artificial means of family planning.

In the 1920s, the issue of birth control also became increasingly linked to eugenics, or the science of using selective breeding to “improve” the human race. Women’s desire for access to more reliable methods of family planning mixed with concerns that “inferior” individuals and races were having too many children and putting too large a burden on society. As Sanger wrote in 1921, “the most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective.” Eugenics thinking also contributed to the passage of restrictive immigration quotas and state laws promoting forced sterilization programs aimed at African Americans, the impoverished, and disabled persons.

By the 1930s, there was greater public interest in birth control and increasing availability of contraceptives such as condoms and diaphragms. When a doctor at one of Sanger’s clinics ordered a diaphragm from Japan, for example, it was confiscated by the federal government. But in the resulting legal challenge, a federal court in 1936 declared that the government could not prevent medical officials from receiving and distributing contraceptives.

After World War II, public support for and use of contraceptives increased. There was also growing interest in population control to deal with the postwar concern about overpopulation, especially in less-developed countries. Advocates of birth control linked contraceptive use to public concerns about the need to curb population to help reduce human suffering.

In the early 1950s, Sanger convinced her friend Katherine McCormack, a long-time women’s rights activist and wealthy philanthropist, to help fund the research of Massachusetts scientist Gregory Pincus, who was working on fertility issues. In his research, Pincus began to experiment with oral hormonal contraceptives that would prevent ovulation in women. He then teamed up with Boston-area doctor John Rock to conduct clinical trials of a new pill. The first large-scale testing of the pill was conducted in Puerto Rico in 1956. The next year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Enovid, the brand name of the pill then being produced by the pharmaceutical company G.D. Searle & Company, but only for the treatment of menstrual problems. It was three more years before the FDA approved the pill for use as an oral contraceptive.

The pill had an immediate and dramatic impact on American society. By 1962, approximately 1.2 million American women were using it every day. Two years later, that figure had reached 6.5 million. The pill was a relatively safe option for women and almost 100 percent effective in preventing conception, making it far more reliable than other forms of contraception. Although users were initially married women, unmarried women were soon also taking the pill. However, some states still retained the old Comstock laws and barred the use of contraception.

Since 1873, for example, it had been illegal in Connecticut to use or distribute any kind of contraception. The law was rarely enforced, but it was still on the books in the early 1960s when the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut decided to challenge it. Planned Parenthood’s executive director, Estelle Griswold, together with Yale School of Medicine Professor C. Lee Buxton, opened a birth control clinic in New Haven in 1961 to test the law. After they were arrested and fined for their actions, lower courts upheld their conviction, and eventually Griswold took her case to the Supreme Court. In its 1965 decision Griswold v. Connecticut , the court struck down Connecticut’s law by a 7-2 vote. Writing for the majority, Justice William O. Douglas argued that the Connecticut law violated the “right of marital privacy.” Although an explicit right to privacy does not exist in the Constitution, Douglas found the right within the “penumbras” and “emanations” of the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments.

Estelle Griswold (left) and Ernest Jahncke (right), who served as president of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut, react to the announcement of the decision in Griswold v. Connecticut printed in the New Haven Register on June 8, 1965. (credit: New Haven Museum)

However, the court’s decision extended the right of privacy only to married couples. The 1972 case Eisenstadt v. Baird , which struck down Massachusetts’s anticontraception law, extended the right of privacy to unmarried people. Griswold became the basis for the court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that the right of privacy guaranteed a women’s right to have an abortion, although that right also had to be balanced against state interests. However, the right to privacy was also critical in later Supreme Court decisions such as Lawrence v. Texas (2003), which struck down anti-sodomy laws in Texas, and Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), which upheld the state law allowing same-sex couples the right to marry.

The arrival of the oral contraceptive pill coincided with the beginning of the modern feminist movement and the early stirrings of the sexual revolution. These three forces worked together to effect great changes in American culture and family life. Older structures and taboos against sexuality began to weaken. Now that sex could be separated from childbearing, attitudes toward sex outside of marriage began to loosen. The counterculture of the late 1960s further emphasized rebellion against mainstream cultural restraints, especially in the area of sexual relations. In 1968, Pope Paul VI announced the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae , upholding the Catholic Church’s opposition to artificial contraception and warning of numerous changes to sexual morality in the West. The encyclical caused deep controversy in the United States. Public opinion polls indicated that a majority of American Catholics approved of the contraceptive pill, and increasing numbers of Catholic women used it.

The birth control pill gave women greater independence and personal autonomy and further separated conception from sexual intercourse. The Baby Boom the sharp increase in U.S. birth rates that occurred immediately after World War II had ended by 1964. Women could now better plan when to have children and avoid unwanted pregnancies, but overall they and their partners were also choosing to have fewer children. Birth rates continued to decline dramatically in the decades since the 1960s, falling to the lowest levels in the nation’s history. Women also began to postpone marriage and enter the workforce in larger numbers. Divorce rates increased, marriage rates declined, and more children were born outside marriage. Although these demographic changes were not all the direct result of the greater availability of birth control, when combined with other social forces such as the rise of feminism and the sexual revolution, the introduction of the birth control pill had a tremendous impact on American families and on sexual behaviors and attitudes.

Review Questions

1. The 1965 Supreme Court decision in Griswold v. Connecticut declared that

• laws against adultery were constitutional
• married couples’ right to contraception was protected by a constitutional right to privacy
• Margaret Sanger could not promote the use of contraceptives
• state governments could legally restrict abortions

2. Margaret Sanger is best known as a(n)

• activist who worked to promote birth control
• Supreme Court justice who wrote the majority decision on Griswold v. Connecticut
• doctor who developed the birth control pill
• wealthy heiress who funded research on contraception

3. The “Comstock Laws” were associated with which issue?

• The right to privacy in marriage
• The right to privacy for women
• Birth control and associated issues
• Material declared to be obscene being sent through the U.S. mail

4. In the early 1960s, great changes in attitudes about American culture and family life were being influenced by all the following except

• the introduction of oral contraceptives
• the modern feminist movement
• the sexual revolution
• the modern civil rights movement

5. The introduction of oral contraceptives has been linked to all the following social effects except

• the increase in births outside marriage
• an increase in divorce rates
• a leveling of birth rates during the baby boom
• a decline in marriage rates

6. The right to privacy central to the case of Griswold v. Connecticut was similarly crucial to the Supreme Court’s ruling in all of the following except

• Roe v. Wade
• Lawrence v. Texas
• Obergefell v. Hodges
• Tinker v. Des Moines

7. Margaret Sanger helped to found which organization?

• Planned Parenthood, formerly the American Birth Control League
• The Birth Control Review
• Eagle Forum
• The National Organization for Women (NOW)

Free Response Questions

• Explain the legal reasoning behind the Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate Connecticut’s anticontraception law in Griswold.
• Explain why birth control has been a controversial topic in American history.

AP Practice Questions

“The Fourth and Fifth Amendments were described in Boyd v. United States . . . as protection against all governmental invasions – of the sanctity of a man’s home and the privacies of life.’ We recently referred in Mapp v. Ohio . . . to the Fourth Amendment as creating a – right to privacy, no less important than any other right carefully an particularly reserved to the people.’ . . . The present case, then, concerns a relationship lying within the zone of privacy created by several fundamental constitutional guarantees. And it concerns a law which, in forbidding the use of contraceptives, rather than regulating their manufacture or sale, seeks to achieve its goals by means having a maximum destructive impact upon that relationship. Such a law cannot stand in light of the familiar principle, so often applied by this Court, that a governmental purpose to control or prevent activities constitutionally subject to state regulation may not be achieved by means which sweep unnecessarily broadly and thereby invade the area of protected freedoms.'”

381 U.S. 479 Estelle T. Griswold v. State of Connecticut (No. 496) Argued: March 29, 1965 Decided: June 7, 1965 William O. Douglas, Majority Decision

1. The issue described in the excerpt later led to the ruling in which of the following Supreme Court cases?

• Miranda v. Arizona
• Loving v. Virginia

2. The issue described in the excerpt led to which effect on the American people?

• More individual rights were protected.
• Civil rights were guaranteed for all demographic groups.
• Economic freedom was guaranteed for minority groups.
• The “right to life” was protected by the Supreme Court.

3. Which of the following most strongly shaped the opinion expressed in the excerpt?

• The Declaration of Independence
• The Reconstruction Amendments to the Constitution
• The Bill of Rights
• The Progressive Era Amendments

Primary Sources

Griswold v. Connecticut , 381 U.S. 479 (1965) https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/381/479/

Sanger, Margaret. “The Case for Birth Control.” The Crisis, June (1934): 176-77. https://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/webedition/app/documents/show.php?sangerDoc=236607.xml

Suggested Resources

Chesler, Ellen. Woman of Valor: Margaret Sanger and the Birth Control Movement in America. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992.

Critchlow, Donald T. Intended Consequences: Birth Control, Abortion, and the Federal Government in Modern America . New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Eig, Jonathan. The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution . New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.

Garrow, David J. Liberty and Sexuality, the Right to Privacy and the Making of Roe v. Wade. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1994.

MacNamara, Trent. Birth Control and American Modernity: A History of Popular Ideas . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2018.

May, Elaine Tyler. American and the Pill: A History of Promise, Peril, and Liberation . New York: Basic Books, 2010.

White, Kevin. Sexual Liberation or Sexual License?: The American Revolt Against Victorianism . Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2000.

Related Content

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

In our resource history is presented through a series of narratives, primary sources, and point-counterpoint debates that invites students to participate in the ongoing conversation about the American experiment.

The federal budget shows Australia's net migration intake will fall sharply — but some say it's outside the government's control

The federal government says Australia's intake of migrants will fall sharply — halving in two years — as it overhauls the migration system and moves to reduce pressures caused by population growth.

But experts say some of this expected drop in migration numbers is outside the government's control, and that it remains unclear whether its efforts to tighten temporary migration will impact numbers.

Budget papers showed net migration will more than halve from 528,000 to 260,000 between 2022-23 and 2024-25.

The government also announced measures aiming to draw highly skilled migrants to Australia, as it moves to overhaul the migration system.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has linked the fall in the migration intake to measures aiming to contain inflation, saying population growth must be managed to moderate cost of living increases.

Some of the sharp drop in intake has been attributed to government policies.

"Government actions are estimated to reduce net overseas migration by 110,000 people over the forward estimates," the budget papers said.

The government said the permanent migration intake would also decrease from 190,000 this financial year to 185,000 in 2024-25.

More than 130,000 of those places will be allocated to the skill stream to "help address Australia's long-term skill needs" while the government will invest more than $18 million to "further reform" Australia's immigration system to "restore its integrity".

The government is also introducing a new ballot for the work and holiday visa program for applicants from China, Vietnam and India — at a cost of $25 for applicants — as it tries to manage demand.

A new National Innovation visa will also be established to replace the current Global Talent visa from later this year, and will target "exceptionally talented migrants who would drive growth in sectors of national importance".

'Managing the pressures'

In a post-budget address on Wednesday, Mr Chalmers framed government efforts to manage population growth as a measure against inflation.

He said there was "a fairly substantial moderation in migration built into the budget" after a post-COVID spike driven by students and "long-term tourists".

"That meant the numbers were a bit higher and now they're moderating to more normal levels," Dr Chalmers said.

"I think most people would recognise that migration has got an important role to play in our economy but it needs to be well-managed and we need to make sure that we can manage the pressures."

Mr Chalmers said measures to increase housing and infrastructure, the end of the COVID-19 Pandemic event visa, and a reduction in international student numbers would reduce pressures caused by population growth.

"We're seeing a substantial moderation in inflation in the forecasts and in the last couple of years as well, and that is largely because of how we're managing the budget, but it will also be increasingly about how we're managing the population," he said.

Migration overhaul

The budget revealed a drop in Australia's migration intake after the government announced it would reform the migration system, including changes tightening rules for international students. 

However, some say that much of the expected fall in net migration is a result of factors outside the government's control.

Australian National University demographer Liz Allen said the government was using "smoke and mirrors" to claim credit for the expected decline.

She said the numbers reflected a rebound in the outflow of international students from Australia, balancing the inflow of new students, after the pandemic.

"We've seen a raft of changes that have increased the integrity of the migration scheme, with particular focus on international students," she said.

"But that has not and will not result in a decline of net overseas migration in real terms."

ANU migration expert Alan Gamlen said the recent surge in net overseas migration had been a result of fewer temporary migrants departing Australia.

"Arrivals are only a bit above their long-term trend, not even enough to change the long-term average," he said.

"Specifically, fewer student migrants have been departing. But that is a temporary effect of the pandemic."

Some were still in the country on COVID-19 Pandemic event visas, and as these expired, the outflow of students would increase, Dr Gamlen said.

University of Sydney global migration expert Anna Boucher said the budget showed the government wanted to reduce the migration intake.

The government was moving to reduce migration numbers by extending controls in permanent migration programs to parts of temporary migration including student migration, and working and holiday visas.

Other factors, including court delays and backlogs in court cases, can influence net overseas migration, she said.

"That's the question, whether they'll be able to achieve it, because there's a lot of variables that can influence net overseas migration."

Dr Boucher said the fall in migration would also influence how the country achieves economic growth.

"It's clear from the budget that as the net overseas migration figures drop, so too will gross domestic product.

"So it's going to put more pressure on seeking increases in gross domestic product through other mechanisms, than merely population growth, which could be very beneficial in the long term for Australia.

"But it's going to be challenging because we've relied on high population growth for a long time, including under the Coalition."

Call for more support

The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA), which represents organisations that support new migrants and refugees, is calling for more help for skilled migrants to establish themselves in Australia.

SCOA chief executive Sandra Elhelw said migration was "more than just a number" and the quality of the settlement experience was "often overlooked" in the migration system.

She said migrants would contribute economically to Australia only if there was enough support for them.

"The more welcoming and supportive we are of migrants when they arrive, the quicker they will start filling critical shortages, paying tax, and increasing our shared quality of life," Ms Elhelw said.

"Australia lags behind countries such as Canada who have much more comprehensive services available to all permanent residents. This includes employment-related services, language training, and support to adjust to Canadian life and systems."

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