WHAT IS UP’S POPULATION CONTROL BILL ALL ABOUT?

1. The Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission has released the first draft prepared under the guidance of A.N. Mittal; the bill aimed at population control and has sought public opinion by July 19. The bill has called for incentives for those who have two children or less and disincentives for big families.

2. This Act shall be called the Uttar Pradesh population (Control, Stabilisation and Welfare) Act, 2021.

3. As per the draft bill, violators of the two-child norm will be debarred from taking benefits of government schemes, and their ration cards would be limited to four units.

4. They will also be barred from contesting local body elections, applying for government jobs or promotions if they are public servants.

5. Families following the two-child norm would get incentives like two additional increments during the entire service, subsidised purchase of plot or house, rebate on utility charges such as water, electricity, house tax and a 3 per cent increase in EPF under the national pension scheme.

6. Couples who don’t want to have more than one child will get special incentives like two additional increments.

7. They will free health care facilities and insurance coverage for the single child until they reach 20 years of age. The single child will get preference in admission in all educational institutions including but not limited to the IIMs and AIIMS.

8. Free education up to graduation level, scholarship for higher studies in case of a girl child and preference to the single child in government jobs are other benefits which couples with a single child will receive.

9. These incentives would apply to all citizens.

10. The bill will reward those couples who undergo “voluntary sterilisation” after having two kids or one shall be eligible additionally for payment from the government for a one-time lump-sum amount of Rs 80,000 if the single child is a boy, and Rs 1 lakh if the single child is a girl.

11. In cases where the religious or personal law governing an individual allows for polygamous or polyandrous marriage, there may be a set of a married couple, each of which shall consist of one man and one woman only. However, the husband or wife may be common in each set.

12. A State Population Fund would be constituted, and it will be utilised to implement this Act.