Rakesh Sinha, a nominated Member of Parliament (MP) aligned with the ruling BJP, introduced a private member’s Bill in the Rajya Sabha, advocating for a two-child policy in India. The Population Regulation Bill, 2019 seeks to encourage small families through incentives and impose penalties for those with more than two children.
Key provisions of the Bill include:
- Disqualification: People with more than two living children would be disqualified from holding public office, such as MP, MLA, or positions in local self-government bodies, post-enactment of the Act.
- Government Employees: Government employees would be required to give an undertaking to limit their children to two. Those who already have more than two children before the Act would be exempt from this rule.
- Penalties: The Bill suggests penalties such as reduced subsidies, higher interest rates on loans, and reduced benefits from public distribution systems for those who contravene the norm.
Sinha emphasized that the Bill is not targeted at any particular religion or community but is aimed at managing India's population growth, which is expected to make India the most populous country by 2050. He noted that population imbalances in certain regions, particularly in northern and eastern states, and higher fertility rates in some districts, make the need for population control more urgent.
The Bill also proposes benefits for public sector employees who adopt the two-child norm, such as undergoing sterilization procedures.
Sinha argues that India must create a balance between its population and resources, both human and natural, to ensure sustainable development.