We all are aware of the problem of overpopulation in our country. Resources get dwindled due to overpopulation, environmental destruction gets aggravated and problems like unemployment increases. As a part of the solution, state governments like the Assam have decided to bring in the two-child policy. It has been declared especially in Assam, that if one has more than two kids after 2021, then government jobs will be denied and one would be debarred from contesting local body elections and Panchayat elections.Efforts are being made to bring in a population control bill even at the central government level a population control bill has even tabled in the Rajyasabha, which proposed to implement two-child policy all across the country, under this proposal, the people who have more than two kids would be denied any government jobs, government subsidies would be denied and they would be excluded from a lot of government schemes. And so much so.
The question is…..
Is this the Method to fight overpopulation?
First of all, I would like to inform you that Assam is not the sole state of bringing such a law. 12 other states in our country implemented the law and also repealed in some of the states.The ones against this policy say that this will have a deleterious effect on women, it may possible that politicians abandon his wife and the woman would be alone with the three children. It should be exaggerated but very often these desired consequences arise from such policies.
For evaluating the two-child policy. We would have look at the outside world to find out.
What have been such similar examples that have been tested out and what have been their results?
Let’s have look at the china’s one-child policy………
ONE CHILD POLICY OF CHINA.
Some people in India suggested adopting a one-child policy by referring to the growth of china but they all are unaware of the fact that china’s one-child policy was a huge failure.China introduced a one child policy in 1979 to control its population but by the time of 2005. The results were destroying. It showed negative consequences. The reason behind this policy failure is laying in fact that Chinese society very much like Indian society, is very gender-biased, if they could give birth to only one child, then people preferred to have a male child. Which led to rampant, female foeticide, and abortions. And in the period between 2005 to 2008, China had one of the world’s worst gender ratios. 120men: 100 women so, in 2011 there was 34 million more man in china in comparison to women.Due to this, the practice of “bride price” begun in china. In which the families of the females were bribed and offered money to marry their sons.
The other one is a 4-2-1 problem this is an indication of the family tree due to the one-child policy there would be four grandparents, two parents which would then have one child.4-2-1 means that when grandparent’s age, then the two parents will have to support the four grandparents. When the parents get old, then one child will have to support 6 people, which means, he will give their pensions, bear their health care costs. Therefore, the economic system would not be able to sustain this. A lot of developed countries are facing these problems today. Which has been not able to come up with a proper solution to this? For example, Japan and western European countries, increase immigration to encourage people to come in from other foreign countries. They want the young population to come into their country. Which would enable them to sustain their old age population to avoid the 4-2-1 problem.
This might seem very shocking to hear but under population is fast becoming a problem in a lot of countries in today’s time. Think about it, if the old age population increases this would lead to a lot more people who would demand pensions, who are not working, but are receiving money from society. And if the working-age population/young age populations decrease. Then the population of the people who are working to generate money would decrease.
Then these people would have to work more to sustain the old age population. Therefore china revoked its one-child policy in 2015. And brought in a two-child policy to encourage people to give birth to more children.
In fact, in countries like Singapore and Germany, extra money is provided by the government if the citizens of those countries give birth to more children.
Keep in mind that in this blog we merely discussing an economic problem because our economic system is designed this way. Looking at the other aspects like environmental aspects or resource aspects. Then obviously, under-population is a good thing, if there are fewer people on this planet, then its environment could be protected better. In the history of humans, none of the forced population control measures are successful.
So now you could ask what are the measures (solutions) to control the population?
The solution is very simple.
Development in education, healthcare as well as economic development. It might be difficult but not impossible its time consuming but we have to start as early as possible.
-SUHAAG MAHERIA
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
R.B.INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES