Question : POPULATION CONTROL



(a) the target fixed under the National Population Policy for the year 2000 and the achievements made thereto; and

(b) the plan of Government to achieve the target during the 10th Five Year Plan?

Answer given by the minister

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI A. RAJA)

(a)&(b): National Population Policy, 2000 does not mention about fixing of targets but lists certain socio-demographic goals to be achieved by 2010. These are:

1) Address the unmet needs for basic reproductive and child health services, supplies and infrastructure.

2) Make school education upto age 14 free and compulsory and reduce dropouts at primary and secondary school levels to below 20 percent for both boys and girls.

3) Reduce infant mortality rate to below 30 per 1000 live births.

4) Reduce maternal mortality ratio to below 100 per 100,000 live births.

5) Achieve universal immunization of children against all vaccine preventable diseases.

6) Promote delayed marriage for girls, not earlier than age 18 and preferably after 20 years of age.

7) Achieve 80 percent institutional deliveries and 100 percent deliveries by trained persons.

8) Achieve universal access to information/counseling and services for fertility regulation and contraception with a wide basket of choices.

9) Achieve 10 per cent registration of births, deaths, marriages and pregnancy.

10) Contain the spread of Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and promote greater integration between the management of Reproductive Tract Infection (RTI) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and the National AIDS Control Organisation.

11) Prevent and control communicable diseases.

12) Integrate Indian System of Medicines (ISMN) in the provision of reproductive and child health services and in reaching out of households.

13) Promote vigorously the small family norm to achieve replacement levels to TFR.

14) Bring about convergence in implementation of related social sector programmes so that family welfare becomes a people centered programme.


(b): The Xth Five Year Plan aims at achieving the following measurable indicators:

1. Reduction in the decadal rate of population growth between 2001 and 2011 to 16.2%;

2. Reduction of Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to 45 per 1000 live births by 2007 and to 28 by 2012;

3. Reduction of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to 2 per 1000 live births by 2007 and to 1 by 2012.

The strategic themes have already been detailed in National Population Policy, 2000 to achieve the goals which inter alia includes the above indicators.