Habits are hard to change, like family planning!
Introductory Memo
Some decisions taken by the policy makers, may be with good intentions, proves costly. These decisions becomes norms in the society and no one dares to come out of it due to various reasons including fear of being looked by the society. Then comes the next phase- Pay a heavy price for what you did. The family planning is one such issue.
Analytical view/analysis
There is an old saying- Habits are hard to change. That is a fact coming to not only individuals but also for the societies as well. The current live example is the freebies extended by various state governments and the competitive aspirations of political parties to compete each other.
A report – ‘The Ghost of Population Past: How Population Control Persists in India’ prepared by an Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister in September, 2026, stated that it was hard to reverse the policy of ‘family planning’ and Andhra Pradesh stands as an example for that. Sanjeev Sanyal, Aakanksha Arora and Virat Singh prepared the 63- page report. The report talks about the new demographic reality, the Chinese warning, misplaced incentives and the need of the hour. Reversing small family norms not easy, says EAC-PM Study
Far below than replacement
“The national total fertility rate (TFR) of India is 1.9, well below replacement fertility. In the absence of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the TFR stands at 1.6. This is comparable to Northern Europe (1.5) and the United States (1.6). The demographically mature Southern states, namely Andhra Pradesh (1.4), Telangana (1.5), Karnataka (1.5), Kerala (1.3) and Tamil Nadu (1.3), alongside states like West Bengal (1.3), Punjab (1.4), Goa (1.6), Himachal Pradesh (1.5), Sikkim (1.0), Maharashtra (1.4), and Delhi (1.2), have been below replacement fertility for over two decades now. With a median age of almost 35 years, these states are demographically closer to ageing economies like the United States (39), than to our national median age of 30 years. The annual number of births in India peaked at roughly 29.3 million in 2001. It has reduced by one fifth since then, to about 23.2 million births in 2023. At the current juncture, India is at the same level of births it had about fifty years ago in 1974,” says the report.
Incentives for sterilization, even now
The surprising part of the policy is that 80 per cent of all fiscal allocations for incentives and compensations are towards sterilization, even today. As per the policy, the ASHA workers directed to limit the population for which they are extended with economic benefits. “Our collective fears of a population explosion, even in high fertility States are misplaced. We have to overcome our population control mindset and align our policy objective with new demographic reality. The historical experience of other countries shows that once fertility declines below a behavioural tipping point, and alters social norms, it is very difficult to reverse,” said the report.
The members of the council recommended – ending sterilization linked incentive payments, repealing motivational linked payments, rolling back population control rituals and rules, and redefining administrative mandates.
“We are not against the family planning for reasons of health, child spacing or personal preference. The Central argument of our paper is that population control is no longer relevant as an objective of state policy. Our family planning policies need to reflect the new demographic needs,” said he members of the Advisory Council.
China has introduced One Child Policy (OPC) in 1980 and continued till 2016, more than the relevant period. China’s experience is a cautionary tale for us to keep in mind when examining the current administrative paradox in India.
Media at a glance
End Sterilization linked-linked incentive payments, roll back population control rules – EAC -PM
India’s birth falls to 1974 level
Social media pulse
https://x.com/sanjeevsanyal/status/2100255676597731496
Our reading list
https://eacpm.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The_Ghost_of_Population_Past_EACPM_final.pdf
- R.Avadhani