What is in the draft of the population policy of Uttar Pradesh?

Ground Report | New Delhi: What is in the draft; The Yogi government has prepared a draft regarding the population control law in Uttar Pradesh. If this draft changes as a law, then in Uttar Pradesh, those who have more than two children will neither be eligible for government jobs nor will they ever be able to contest elections.

The State Law Commission has prepared the draft of UP Population Bill 2021. In which it has been suggested that many facilities should be given to the parents adopting the policy of one child, while the parents of more than two children should be deprived of government jobs.

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The Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh will unveil its new policy on population control for 2021-30 on the occasion of World Population Day on July 11.

According to an Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson, the state's total fertility rate is currently 2.7 percent while ideally, it should be less than 2.1 percent. Keeping this in view, this draft has been prepared.

What is in the draft?

• The draft proposes to specifically encourage parents of the BPL category to accept a one child policy.
• After the implementation of the law, whoever gives birth to more than two children in violation of the two child norm will not get a chance to apply for government jobs and get promotion. The benefit of 77 government schemes and grants will also not be available.
• Not only this, many restrictions have been recommended in this resolution, including preventing them from contesting local body elections.
• Also, if this draft takes the form of a law, then within a year, all government officials, employees, elected representatives of the local body will have to give an affidavit that they will not violate it.
• At the time of implementation of the law, if there are only two children and a third child is born after giving the affidavit, then a proposal has been made to cancel the election of the representative and not to contest further elections.
• At the same time, there is also a recommendation to stop promotion and dismiss government employees.

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Increment on getting vasectomy

The second chapter of the draft deals with incentives, in which the provision of two children, one child adoption, and voluntary sterilization for both government employees and the general public have been discussed. A government employee who undergoes voluntary sterilization may get two additional increments during the entire service, subsidy in buying a plot or house, waiver of utility charges, and a 3 percent increase in EPF under the National Pension Scheme. 

Apart from this, there may also be some special provisions for the couple having only one child. Beneficiaries will also be eligible for Maternity/Paternity Leave for 12 months in addition to full salary and allowances along with other benefits.

If an employee undergoes voluntary sterilization after a child, the incentive will increase. The incentive includes free education for a child up to graduation level and preference in government jobs. The draft bill proposes scholarships for higher education in the case of girl children.

Government has sought suggestions

The Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission has made many such proposals in the draft of the Population Control Act. The commission has also sought objections and suggestions from the people on this draft, which can be sent to the commission by July 19 through e-mail ([email protected]) or by post. If the Yogi government gives a green signal to this formula, then it will be considered a big step towards population control in UP.

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