The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government announced on February 15, 2000 the National Population Policy with the long term objectives of achieving population stabilization by 2045, at a level consistent with the requirement of sustainable economic growth, social development and environmental protection.

Significantly the cabinet approval for the policy came after it was decided to extend the freeze on the number of Lok Sabha seats for 25 more years from 2001 to 2026 on the basis of the 1971 census in order to enable state governments to pursue family planning measures as also to protect those states that have implemented the population stabilisation agenda successfully.

The immediate objective of the policy, the documents states, is “to address the unmet needs to contraception, health infrastructure, and to provide integrated service delivery for basic reproductive and child health care”. The medium term objective is to bring the total fertility rates to replacement level by 2010.

In pursuance of objectives the government spelt out 14 socio demographic goals, to be achieved by 2010. The National Commission on population that envisaged implementing and reviewing the long-term and medium term objectives of the policy, is to be chaired by the PM. Similar state commissions will be headed by the respective chief ministers.

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The incentive package to promote the small family norms includes strengthening facilities of safe abortion, rewards for panchayats and zila parishads for exemplary performance in universalizing the small family norms, achieving reductions in infant mortality and promoting literacy with completion of primary schooling and award of Rs. 500 by the Department of women and child at the birth of a girl child and promotion of care and survival of the girl child up to two children.

The Department Rural Development has instituted a maternity benefit scheme and many other measures. Couples below the poverty line who undergo sterilization with not more than two living children, will be eligible for a health insurance plan, involving a sum not exceeding Rs. 5000 (For the children and the couple) besides a personal accident insurance cover for the spouse who undergoes sterilization.