Population Policy Choices in India

Abstract

Although India started its official family planning program way back in 1951, a formal statement on population policy was issued by the Congress Government in 1976 when India passing through Internal Emergency. In 1977, another population policy statement was issued by the Janata Government, retaining some of the measures proposed by the 1976 policy and departing from other significant measures. In 1986, another population policy statement was issued by the Congress Government. But it never saw the light of the day. In July 1993, the Government of India constituted an Expert Group on Population Policy under the Chairmanship of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. The Expert Group has submitted its report called "Draft National Population Policy" in May 1994. The present article analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the population policies and arrives at
the inescapable conclusion that the Draft National Population Policy submitted by the Expert Group provides a congenial environment to achieve "a stable population with a satisfying standard of life for all".