Even as India’s national total fertility rate (TFR) falls below replacement level, BJP MP for Rajya Sabha Kirori Lal Meena has pushed for a ‘population control’ law on the model of China’s now abandoned one-child policy.
The latest set of NFHS 2019-21 survey results released by the Union Department of Health on Wednesday found that the average number of children born to a woman in her lifetime fell below the replacement for the first time.
Acts of Parliament | December 3, 2021
However, Mr Meena said a population control law will help control food inflation and bring equality to women. During zero hour in Rajya Sabha, when MPs are allowed to raise issues of national importance, Meena touted the bill as a one-stop solution to “poverty, disease, malnutrition, pollution”.
“Due to the population explosion, the demand for milk, ghee, fruits and vegetables is increasing. And to meet this growing demand, adulteration takes place. It is harming the overall health of our people and the number of cancer cases is also increasing,” Mr. Meena said.
The Population Control Act, Meena said, will also end gender disparity. Women, he argued, will only get equal rights and equal respect when a law to control popularity is enacted. In the current scenario, the government’s Atma Nirbhar campaign is also doomed with excessive population.