EMERGENCY SETBACK
Family planning programme was given utmost importance during the Emergency time when the acceptors were drawn by a technique which was quite contrary to the basic philosophy of the extension approach. Use of coercion augmented the family planning achievements in all the states in India ; and some states which were always behind the target, in fact, exceeded the targets. There was a talk of making sterilization compulsory after three children and some States had even passed legislation to this effect. Population growth was viewed as a national problem of urgency and the whole bureaucratic infrastructure was used to assist in the programme. The number of sterilizations increased to 2,669,000 in 1975-76, from only 942,000 in 1973-74, and further to 8,261,000 in 1976-77. At this stage two phenomena were marked: (a) the family planning programme degenerated into sterilization programme; and (b) population control became a political problem.
CAFETERIA APPROACH
In the Third Plan period itself (1961-66) family planning was made a target oriented programme. It was proposed to reduce the birth rate in India to 25 births per 1000 population by 1973. The target was later modified to reduce the birth rate to 25 as early as possible. A cafeteria approach was then adopted to provide a range of effective and approved family planning methods according to the needs and preferences of the individuals, e.g., condoms, diaphragms, jelly, cream, foam tablets for newly married couples, IUCD for couples with one or two children, and sterilization for couples who have completed their desired family size. |
