Even as India’s national Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is falling below the replacement rate, BJP MP in Rajya Sabha Kirori Lal Meena pushed for “Population Control” law on the lines of China’s now discarded one-child policy.
The latest set of findings of the NFHS 2019-21 survey released by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday revealed that the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime has dropped below the replacement level for the first time.
Parliament Proceedings | December 3, 2021
However, Mr. Meena said a population control law will help with controlling food inflation and bringing equality for women. During the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha when the MPs are allowed to raise issues of national importance, Mr. Meena presented the bill as a one-shot solution for “poverty, disease, malnourishment, pollution”.
“Because of the population explosion, the demand for milk, ghee, fruits and vegetables is rising. And to meet this growing demand adulteration is taking place. This is harming the overall health of our people and the number of cancer cases are also going up,” Mr. Meena said.
The Population Control Law, Mr. Meena said, will also end the gender disparity. The women, he argued, will get equal rights and equal respect, only when a law to control popularity is enacted. In the current scenario, the government’s Atma Nirbhar campaign is also set to fail with excessive population.
