The Uttar Pradesh government announced on Sunday that “attempts would be made to ensure there is a population balance among various communities” in the state.
Extensive campaigns would be run in communities, groups, and geographical areas where fertility rates were higher, the government’s new Population Policy 2021-30 said.
“Yeh prayas bhi kiya jayega ki vibhinn samudayon ke madhya jansankhya ka santulan bana rahe. Jin samudayon, samvargon, evam bhaugolik kshetro mein prajanan dar adhik hai, usme jagrukta ke vyapak karyakram chalaye jayenge,” says the policy document.
The policy, which was released by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, aims to bring down the gross fertility rate in the state from 2.7 at present to 2.1 by 2026, and to 1.9 by 2030 by empowering women to make informed personal choices.
Efforts would be made to improve access to contraceptive measures under the family planning programme, and to provide a system for safe abortions, says the policy.
The document also says that “in order to make the steps taken and policies made on population control more effective, making new laws will also be considered”.
The 40-page Population Policy 2021-30 document released on World Population Day comes days after the UP Law Commission published a draft Bill on population control on its website.