Lakshadweep’s proposed two-child norm for panchayat polls ‘flawed’

The Lakshadweep administration’s bid to impose a two-child norm defies all logic because the Union Territory (UT) has a low Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and an ageing inhabitants, says the Population Foundation of India.

The UT has proposed a brand new regulation that makes any particular person with greater than two kids ineligible to contest panchayat polls. Neither can an individual with greater than two kids be a member of a gram panchayat.

“The proposed regulation is suicidal and defies all logic,” says govt director, Population Foundation of India, Poonam Muttreja. “Instead of imposing stringent population control measures, Lakshadweep needs to take steps to contain further reduction in TFR. Policies of enforcing a two-child norm, which we have seen before in other States too, come bundled with other gender-unfriendly policies and mindsets that burden women disproportionately.”

According to the National Health and Family Survey – 5 (NFHS) 2019-2020, Lakshadweep had a TFR of 1.4, which was far lower than the nationwide common of two.2 and was a trigger for concern as a substitute. The general inhabitants progress price for the UT had additionally dropped to six.3% throughout 2001-2011 from 17.19% in 1991-2001.

‘Rise in unsafe abortions’

Even for the States which have excessive fertility charges, there was no proof {that a} two-child coverage was efficient. A 5 State research by Nirmala Buch, former senior IAS officer, discovered that within the States that adopted the coverage, there was an increase in sex-selective and unsafe abortions; males divorced their wives to run for native physique elections, and households gave up kids for adoption to keep away from disqualification.

“The proposed panchayat rules could also distort Lakshadweep’s sex ratio of 1,187 females for 1000 males [NFHS 5]. Lakshadweep will soon have an ageing population and experience labour shortages. This would increase the elderly dependency ratio and intensify the burden of non-communicable diseases, requiring significant financial resources to support the elderly and address their health care needs,” Ms. Muttreja says.

The Lakshadweep administration should as a substitute put money into general social growth, well being and training with a give attention to gender fairness, financial growth and entry to household planning providers, regardless of tradition or faith, she provides.