NATIONAL POPOULATION POLICY

INTRODUCTION

A new national population policy has been approved by the cabinet in its
meeting held on 15th Feb, 2000.The policy aims at the following objectives.
Population policy in general refers to policies intended to decrease the birthrate or
growth rate. In April 1976 India formed its first ‘‘National population policy”.

MILE STONES

1948: Bhore committee report.

1952: Launching of family planning program.

1976: Statement of NPP.

1977: Policy statement on family welfare program.

1979: Conversion on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against

women (CEDAW).
1983: The Indian Govt framed a NHP IN 1983, has set the long term
demographic goal of achieving a net reproduction rate (NRR) of one by the
year 2000.National democratic goals were follows.
 The average size of the family would be reduced to 2.3.
 The birth rate per1000 would be reduced to 21.
 The death rate per 1000 would be reduced to 9.
 The IMR would be reduced to 60/1000 live births.
 The effective couple protection rate would be raised to more than
60%.
1986: The policy was evolved and promoted the slogan ‘‘ movement of the
people, by the people, for the people”.
1991: National development council appointed a committee on population.

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1997: Cabinet approved the draft national population policy but could not be
placed in front of both house of the parliament
1999: Another draft NPP was finalized and approved by the parliament as NPP-
2000.
OBJECTIVES:

Immediate:

 To meet the unmet need of contraception

 Strengthening health infrastructure
 Strengthening of health personnel
 Promote integrated services delivery for basic RCH care

Mid Term: To bring the TFR to replacement level i-e 2 by 2010, through
vigorous implementation of intersectoral operational strategies.

Long Term: Long term is to achieve a stable population by 2045, at a level

consistent with the requirement of sustainable economic growth, social and
development and environmental protection.

NATIONAL SOCIO – DEMOGRAPHIC GOALS FOR 2010

a. Address the unmet needs for basic RCH services, supplies and
infrastructure.
b. Make school education up to age 14 years free and compulsory and reduce
dropout at primary and secondary school levels to below 20 % for both
boys and girls.
c. Reduce IMR 30/1000 live birth.
d. Reduce MMR less than 1/1000 live births.
e. Achieve universal immunization of children against all vaccine
preventable.
f. Marriage age should not be less than 18 but preferable 20 years.
g. Achieve 80% institutional delivery and 100% by trained personal.
h. Achieve universal access to information / counseling services for fertility
regulation and contraceptive with a wide basket of choices.
i. Achieve 100% registration of births, deaths, marriage, and pregnancy.

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 j. Containment of AIDS, and greater integration between the management of
AIDS and STD.
k. Prevention and control of communicable disease.
l. Integration of Indian system of medicine in provision of RCH services, and
in reaching out of house holds.
m. Promote small family norm to achieve replacement level of TFR 2.1.
n. Bring about convergence in implementation of related social sector
programs so that family welfare become people centered program.

STRATEGEIS

In order to achieve above goals, the following strategic themes have been
identified:

1. Decentralized planning and program implementation

Govt give additional responsibility like health, FW, education to the PRI,
following 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments act.

2. Conversion of service delivery at village level

Extending the RCH care through mobile clinics and counseling services,
through voluntary and private partnership co-ordination.

3. Empowering women for improved health and nutrition

It is focusing on reduction MMR by adequate/ appropriate health care,

nutrition services, throughout a life time, and particularly during pregnancy and
children.

4. Child survival and child health

 IMR is sensitive issue in human development. The priority is to

intensified neonatal care. Skilled consultant in obstetrics, pediatrics,
family health personnel must be increased.
 BFHI should be extended to all hospital and clinics, up to sub centers
levels

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  Child survival interventions i-e, universal immunization, control of
childhood diarrheas with oral rehydration therapies, management of
ARI
 Intensified efforts, eradication of polio may be possible very soon.

5. Meeting the unmet needs for family welfare services

It is important to strengthen SC & PHC with adequate facilities for referral

transportation, to encourage for ambulance services, to increase innovative social
marketing scheme

6. Greater emphasis for understand population group

 It includes the mobile clinics services to under developed people, urban

slums, tribal community.
 Providing water, sanitation and waste disposal facilities
 IEC to spread awareness about available health care facility
 Encouraging the adolescent group for delayed marriage and child
bearing
 Increased participation of men in planned parenthood (contraceptive
use, vasectomy)

7. Diverse health care provider

Encouraging Indian system of medicines in public health care. The

practitioners need to have special training, license from Indian medical association
to practical clinical services.

8. Contraceptive technology and research in RCH

International institute of population sciences and population research centre

need to be strengthen to conduct various research

9. IEC: Related to population related issues, via artists, popular film stars,
doctors, vaidyas, nurses and women’s organization

10. Providing health care and support for the older population

11. Collaboration with and commitment from private agencies and NGOs

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12. Involvement of Indian system of medicine in RCH services.

PROMOTIONAL AND MATIVATIONAL MEASURES

a. Panchayat and zila parishads will be rewarded and honored for exemplary
performance
b. Balika Samridhi Yojana (department of women and child welfare)
provide cash incentive of Rs.500 at the birth of the girl child of birth order
1st or 2nd.
c. Maternity benefit scheme (department of rural development) provide cash
incentives to mothers who have their first child after 19 years of age, for
birth of the 1st and 2nd child only
d. A FW – linked health insurance plan will be established
e. Couples BPL will be rewarded for their active involvement in family
planning activities
f. Village level self help groups will be set up
g. Crèches and child care centers will be opened in rural and urban slums
h. A wide and affordable choice of contraceptives will be made accessible
i. Facilities for safe abortion will be strengthened
j. Innovative social marketing schemes will be promoted
k. Ambulance services at the villages level will be strengthened
l. Increased vocational training schemes for girls leading to self-
employment will be encouraged
m. Strict enforcement of the child marriage Restraint Act, 1976 and Prenatal
diagnostic Act
n. Soft loans to ensure mobility to the ANMs will be increased

IMPLEMENTATION OF POPULATION POLICY -2000

It emphasizes on;

 People centered approach.

 Decentralized planning and implementation through Panchayat and
Nagarpalikas.
 Integrated package for health, MCH and family planning.
 Concerns for gender issues.
 Focus on understand population groups and adolescents.

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  Community participation with increased participation of men in planned
family and parenthood.

Implementation of the population policy is monitored by National

commission on population (NCP). The NCP is headed by prime minister and
comprised of C.M of states and UTs, minister of health and FW, Heads of dept of
FW, reported demographers, public health professional and NGOs members.

Impact of NPP-2000

If NPP-2000 is fully implemented it is anticipated a population of

1107million (110 crores) in 2010, instead of 1162million (116crores) projected by
the technical group on population projections. Similarly the anticipated reduction
in the birth,IMR and TFR as shown is

YEAR CBR IMR TFR

1997 27.2 71 3.3

1998 26.4 72 3.3

2002 23 50 2.6

2010 21 30 2.1

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTH:

1. Formulation of National policy by the health ministry involving planning

commission and cabinet.
2. Policy is passed by the parliament.
3. Well panned and drafted after many deliberations particularly Swami Nathan
committee and NHP 1983.
4. Long experiences of National family welfare program.

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WEAKNESS:

1. Unrealistic goals and targets.

2. Many failures in achieving targets in the past.
3. Lack of community involvement.
4. Lack of resources and poor budgeting.
5. Lack of well planned monitoring and evaluation.

OPPORTUNITY:

1. Provision of research in RCH and contraceptive that will be handle the

increasing demand.
2. Integrated approach involving mother, adolescents and child in the area of
nutrition, health education involving other system of medicines ,etc.
3. Decentralization and more autonomy for better implementation.
4. Provision of legislation act as decentive for large family size for legislature
and councils. Strict enforcement of child marriage Restraint Act and Prenatal
diagnosis Act is also provided.
5. Adequacy of funding ensured.

THREAT:

1. Revising system of licensed medical practitioners may not be supported, by

IMA and other professional bodies.
2. Flexibility in NGOs functioning may give rise to more corruption and
compromise in the achievement of targets.
3. Cash incentives and heavy dependency on health care providers in Govt
system would compromise the quality and increase financial burden.
4. More encouragement to private sectors will make the India the most
privatized health system in the world.

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Conclusion

The goals of National population policy, if achieved, there may marked

reduction in social problems and increase production, makes the way for country
development. It can be achieved by intersect oral co-ordination, with effective
planning and management of family welfare and RCH programme.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gulani K.K (2005) ‘‘Community health nursing principles and practices” kumar
publishing house ltd, New Delhi 322-25

James sharyn et.al,(2001) ‘‘ Community health nursing – caring for the public
health” Tones & Bartlett,Bostan,202

Kamalam (2005) ‘‘Essentials in community health nursing practice” Jaypee New

Delhi ,317

Kishore .J (2007) ‘‘National health program of India;-National policies a d

legislation related to health ,7th ,century, New Delhi, 490-96

Mohaja BK et.al, (2000) ‘‘Textbook of preventive and social medicines, 3rd,

Jaypee brothers ,New Delhi,566 - 68

Park. K (2007) ‘‘Textbook of preventive medicines” 19th , M/S Bhanarsidas,

Jabalpur, 337

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