Since India’s independence, population stabilization has been one of the prime concerns in its development agenda.
The Covid-19 pandemic has not caused a baby boom, but quite the opposite in the city. Mumbai registered nearly 24% fewer births in 2021 compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019—the second year of the country's second most populous city recording a significant drop in birth registrations.
Legal reforms have been at the centre of the agenda for strategizing gender justice in India. This has been so, right from the time of nine-teenth century social reforms movements, through the period of nationalist struggles, down to the contemporary women's movement.
The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, is an Indian law aimed at regulating Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) services such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), sperm or egg donation, and surrogacy.
The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, is a critical piece of legislation in India aimed at addressing and curbing the practice of sex-selective abortions and ensuring the ethical use of prenatal diagnostic technologies.