The UP govt announced that “attempts would be made to ensure there is a population balance in state.

Extensive campaigns would be run in communities, groups, and geographical areas where fertility rates were higher, the government’s new Population Policy 2021-30 said.

The policy, which was released by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, aims to bring down the gross fertility rate in the state from 2.7 at present to 2.1 by 2026, and to 1.9 by 2030 by empowering women to make informed personal choices.

Efforts would be made to improve access to contraceptive measures under the family planning programme, and to provide a system for safe abortions, says the policy. The document also says that “in order to make the steps taken and policies made on population control more effective, making new laws will also be considered”.

The 40-page Population Policy 2021-30 document released on World Population Day comes days after the UP Law Commission published a draft Bill on population control on its website. The draft Bill, on which suggestions have been invited from the public until July 19, proposes to bar people with more than two children from contesting local bodies elections, applying for government jobs, and receiving any kind of government subsidy. The draft Bill also proposes to prohibit promotions in government jobs for people with more than two children, and to offer incentives to those with up to two children. State Law Commission Secretary Sapna Tripathi told The Indian Express that the government had not asked the commission for the draft Bill. “We have prepared the proposal on our own and have sought suggestions from the people. We will study the suggestions, and based on that we will prepare a final draft and send it to the government for consideration,” she said.