Policy decisions taken out of fear result in folly. The author introduces the paper with a plea for critical reflection about the population problem.

India's efforts to promote family planning have produced a significant increase in the couple protection rate (CPR) which has increased by about 33 percent during the last 22 years-from 10.4 percent in 1970 to 43.5 in 1992.

Indian society consists of immensely varied political, social, ethnic, linguistic, religious and community groups, which, by and large, reside in villages, where poverty, misconceived religious notions, social customs, illiteracy, ignorance and superstitions prevail.

The necessity of controlling the growth of population in Bangladesh was seriously recognized as early as 1965 when a large-scale national family planning program was initiated in erstwhile Pakistan A.

Most people in India are now aware that the country's population is growing rapidly, and appreciate the need for controlling its rate of growth.

The rapid growth of population is one of the major problems facing the country today. India is at the turning point in its population development. As early as 1970, the birth rate showed a distinct downward trend, and continued to fall further to its present lowest.

Explicit concern over India's rapid rise of population originated in the third decade of this century. Until 1920, India's population had been growing very slowly owing to the heavy toll from famines, epidemics, and wars.

Stree Shakti Sanghatana (Hyderabad) Saheli (Delhi), Chingari (Ahmedabad) and several women, were co-petitioners in a case in the Supreme Court in 1986 which demanded a court ruling on introduction of contraceptive NET-EN.

Oral contraceptive pill registered 72 - 75% of the overall contraceptive usage ever since it was introduced in Malaysia. Most of the oral contraceptive pills available contain 30 mcg of Ethinyl Oestradiol and a standard progestogen, which ranges from Levanogestrel, Desogestrel and Gestoden.

The international Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), convened in Cairo in September 1994 under the auspices of the Unite Nations, has changed the focus of family planning programs forever.