UP Population Bill : Opening a Pandora’s Box ?
Sources :
UP prepares population control bill draft, proposes incentives for those following two-child policy / India Today / 10 July 2021
UP plans job curbs based on family size / HT / 11 July 2021
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HIGHLIGHTS OF UP GOVT POPULATION POLICY / DRAFT RULES
CITIZEN GROUP | Those following 2-Child Policy | Those following 1-child Policy | Those having more than 2 Children |
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( A ) Government Employees | Incentives : | Incentives : | Dis-Incentives : |
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| Two additional increments during entire service | Four additional increments | Disentitle those already in service to promotions and exclude them from benefits of 77 schemes |
| Subsidised purchase of plot or house | Free healthcare and education for their child till the age of 20.
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| Rebate on utility charges | Promotions |
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| Three per cent increase in Employee Provident Fund (EPF) under the National Pension Scheme | Concessions in Housing Schemes |
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| maternity or as the case may be, paternity leave of 12 months, with full salary and allowances |
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( B ) Non-Government Citizen | Incentives : |
| Dis-Incentives |
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| Rebates on water and electricity bills, house tax, home loans | No benefits of Govt Schemes |
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| If a single child’s parent opts for vasectomy, then the child will be entitled to free medical facilities until the age of 20. Such children are also proposed to get free education, insurance and preference in government jobs. | Cannot contest local body elections |
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| BPL couples will be entitled to one-time lump sum amount of Rs 80,000 ( for single boy child ) and Rs 1 LAKH ( for single girl child ) from the Government if they limit the family to one child | Cannot apply for Govt jobs |
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| Limit ration card units to four |
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| No Govt Subsidy of any kind |
GENERAL POLICY :
Ø The bill also promotes vasectomy and sterilisation
Ø No relaxation in cases of polygamy and polyandry
Ø Increase the accessibility of contraceptive measures
Ø Provide a proper system for safe abortion.
Ø Providing accessible solutions to impotence/infertility
Ø Comprehensive arrangements for the care of the elderly,
Ø Better management of education, health, and nutrition of adolescents between 11 to 19 years.
Ø ‘Health Clubs’ in schools
Ø Digital tracking of new-borns, adolescents, and elderly people
Ø Efforts should be made to maintain demographic balance in all the communities,
Ø Easy availability of advanced health facilities
Ø Bring down the maternal and child mortality rate to the minimum level through proper nutrition
Ø Maternity centres will be set up at all primary health centres
Ø Introduce a compulsory subject relating to population control in all secondary schools
EXCEPTIONS :
Ø Reasonable exceptions to the contravention of the law have been mentioned in case of adoption, multiple births like having twins or disability or death of a child, leading the couple to have a third one
Ø For Polygamous or Polyandrous marriages ( governed by personal laws of different religions ) , contravention of the two-child norm will e considered, if a man ( in case of polygamy ) has more tan two children from all his marriages put together. However, action of the husband will not preclude the individual wife and children from the benefits if they are eligible for it
MY TAKE :
Ø Since UP govt has gone so far as to prepare a DRAFT of its proposed POPULATION POLICY ( and that too, under the leadership of a retired Judge ), I assume that :
# “ Population Control “ is a STATE SUBJECT , or
# Our Constitution is silent on this subject
Ø In either case, we can expect a number of other States to frame their own / individual / separate – and quite possibly,” differing-in-details “ , policies , very soon
Ø It is obvious that such individual State Population Policies, would apply ONLY to citizen who are “ domiciled “ in those states
QUESTIONS :
Ø What about the benefits / subsidies which Indian Citizen ( residing in ANY state ) receive from the Central Govt Schemes ( DBT or otherwise ) ? Obviously, no State Govt can stop these , under its Population Policy !
Ø What about Central Govt Employees, posted in various States ( even on delegation ) ?
Ø What about citizen of UP ( Govt Employee or others ), who migrate to other States ( may be without changing their DOMICILE STATUS ) ? What happens to the BEBEFITS / INCENTIVES that they might have already received while in UP ?
Ø How will UP restrict “ No of Units of Ration “ , when entire India is about to adopt “ One Nation, One Card “ ?
Ø How is “ Digital Tracking “ of Newborns supposed to be implemented ? May be as ( half-jokingly ) suggested at :
# Aadhar : The Omnipresent ? ………………..[ 22 March 2017 ]
Extract :
“ I hope , someday soon , an India Start-Up comes up with a digital
solution ( pasting, a unique RFID sensor on the forehead of each
child at birth ? ) to get rid of all the CARDS, a person needs
to acquire in a life-time “
Ø I believe Central Government has close to 32 Lakh ( 3.2 million ) employees. Will Centre come out with its own population policy, as applicable to these employees ?
Ø I am afraid UP govt policy, will require creation of a large number of DATABASES of its employees and its “ non-employed by Govt “ citizen .
Let us consider the following “variables “ described by the draft rules :
( 1 )………… Ordinary Citizen Vs Govt Employee
( 2 )…………. Married vs Bachelor
( 3 ) ……….. Male vs Female
( 4 )……….. No child vs 1 Child vs 2 children vs 2+ children
( 5 )……….. Polygamous ( man with more than 1 wife )
( 6 )…………Polyandrous ( female with more than 1 husband )
( 7 )……….. UP Domicile Certificate Holder vs No domicile certificate (
migrant from other states )
( 8 )………. “ No of Units “ in Ration Card of “ Head of Family ( Card
Holder )
( 9 )…………. No of State Benefits / subsidies being received by each
citizen ( out of 77 )
( N )……….. ? ? ?
I am sure that the readers would be able to add some more “ variables “
to this list
But, even with the above-listed variables , the “ PERMUTATIONS and
COMBINATIONS “ are likely to run into MILLIONS ( Factorial N
Has drafters of UP Population Policy considered the GIGANTIC
ADMINISTRATIVE SET-UP that would be required to :
# Create and maintain these ( constantly changing / dynamic )
databases ?
# Create / maintain “ Individual History “ of its 22 crore ( 220 million )
citizen ?
Dear Shri Yogi Adityanathji,
While highly appreciating your noble intention ( for controlling UP population ), I urge you to appoint an expert committee, to examine the ISSUES raised by me
With regards,
Hemen Parekh / hcp@RecruitGuru.com
Dear Readers,
On this matter, if you have any views / suggestions that you might like to convey to the concerned Ministers, do not hesitate to use :
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