Uttar Pradesh draft bill proposes to bar people with over two children from getting govt jobs

A draft bill on population control prepared by Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission proposes to make people with more than two children ineligible for government jobs, disentitle those already in service to promotions, and exclude them from the benefits of 77 schemes. It also suggests incentives such as tax rebates for those with two children or less.

The draft has been uploaded on the commission’s website for suggestions from the public until July 19 as chief minister Yogi Adityanath is expected to announce on Sunday a new population policy 2021-30 for Uttar Pradesh, which is due to go to the polls early next year. Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state with a population of around 220 million.

The proposed incentives for government employees with one child include increments, promotions, and concessions in housing schemes. For those who are not government employees, the incentives listed are rebates in taxes on water, housing, home loans. In addition to this, if the parent of a single child opts for vasectomy, then the child will be entitled to free medical facilities until the age of 20. Such children are also proposed to get free education, insurance, and preference in government jobs.

Justice AN Mittal, the panel’s chairman who has prepared the draft bill, said all aspects have been looked into and an exhaustive study of such laws was carried out before the proposed legislation was drafted. He underlined the need for a law to check the increasing population of the state. “Resources are already overstretched due to increasing population. Be it medical facilities, food grains, and jobs, everything is under stress due to the rising population,” said Mittal, a former Allahabad high court judge.

“Imagine if the population of the state remains 22 crores (220 million) to 23 crores (230 million) even after 20 years, then what will be the state’s condition. There will be the availability of everything in abundance for the future generation. There will be no scarcity of resources.”

Congress questioned the timing of the draft bill ahead of the assembly polls in the state. “The polls are due in seven to eight months. What is the urgency to bring the (draft) bill now when parties are preparing for the assembly polls?” said V N Madan, state Congress spokesman. Madan said they were studying the draft bill and added the Congress will support its positive aspects and oppose the ones the government has incorporated for its own benefits.

Chief ministers of Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states of Uttar Pradesh and Assam have of late sought aggressive population control. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said large families will lose certain state benefits.

Population control is believed to have both advantages and disadvantages. According to United Nations data, the rate of population growth is falling behind replacement rates in over half of the countries globally. The growth rate in the global population is projected to be zero by the end of the century perhaps for the first time. China has allowed two to three children per household to reverse a fall in its population after decades of the one-child policy.

India is projected to overtake China as the most populous country by 2025. Statistics show that India’s population growth peaked decades ago and is on a downward trajectory.