9. Population Policies in India

Population dynamics affects the developmental prospects of a nation as well as the health and well-being of its people. This is particularly true of developing countries that have to face special challenges in this regard.

Do you know that discussions on population growth and the need to adopt a population policy had begun in India even before Independence? A Sub-Committee on population was set up by the National Planning Committee appointed in 1938 by the Interim Government. This Committee, in its resolution in 1940 said, “in the interest of social economy, family happiness and national planning, family planning and a limitation of children are essential”.

In fact, India was perhaps the first country to explicitly announce such a policy in 1952. The aim of the programme was to reduce birth rates “to stabilize the population at a level consistent with the requirement of national economy”.