“India understood the importance of Family Planning early and went on to be the first country to launch a National Family Planning programme in 1952.” This was stated by Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare
India has achieved replacement level fertility with as many as 31 states/UTs having achieved a Total Fertility Rate of 2.1 or less and modern contraceptive usage has increased substantially to 56.5 per cent, Union Minister of State for Health .
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The Population Foundation of India said that the total fertility rate is now below the replacement level, asking governments to steer away from coercive measures.
View: A plan for family planning
Govt interventions have played a key role in raising awareness, enabling behavioural changes and developing community participation. (Representational image)
Synopsis
While India has achieved major gains in addressing its family planning needs, there are pockets that still need focussed attention to maintain the momentum. These pockets can be seen in terms of regions and population sub-groups. Despite promising progress, there are cases that call for continued focus on addressing the unmet need.
Among the several revolutionary changes that have transformed the world over the last few decades, perhaps the most significant one for women – and also the most underplayed – has been the means to choose when and whether to have children. This transformation has been driven by the expanded availability of modern contraceptives and the growing awareness about family planning methods across the developed and the developing world alike.