Madhya Pradesh is the second largest state in the country in terms
of area. Its population has crossed the 60
million mark and accounts for 5.88% of the total population of the country. Although the
sex ratio has reflected an increasing trend, the state still ranks amongst the more
backward states in terms of most demographic indicators. Diversity in Socio-economic
conditions is in the nature of the state. With an area of 3.08 Lac square K.M. and density
of population 196 per kilometer, it makes the State a difficult terrain, hard to reach and
inaccessible. In terms of Human Development Index (HDI) with an index value of
34.8 the state lags behind the all India average of 45. The state also has a
sizable tribal population.
The pace at which the
population has been growing can be gauged by the fact that the state's population doubled
during the period of 30 years, between 1951 and 1981from 26 to 52 million. At the present
pace, it will double again in the succeeding 34 years, that is, up to 2015. The Technical Group on Population Projections
constituted by the Planning Commission of the Government of India, concluded that Madhya
Pradesh would reach replacement level fertility (which is a prerequisite for initiating
the process of population stabilization), after 2060. If this were to happen, the census
of 2061 would show a population size of 190 million. This forms the backdrop for the
State's Population Policy.
The state has taken the
initiative of adopting a state specific population policy to address the serious problem
of rapid, (and if not checked), alarming population growth. The policy reiterates a
commitment for a renewed momentum to population stabilization efforts.
Objectives:
Specific objectives
of the policy are:
Policy
Initiatives:
In order to achieve the aforesaid objectives, the policy
identifies the following key initiatives:
-
To create an encouraging environment for planned family and to
generate demand for family planning and reproductive health services.
-
To increase the involvement of Panchayati Raj institutions,
private sector and Non-Government Organizations to promote people's participation in
population stabilization efforts.
To reorganize the management and administration of the family
welfare programme so as to make it efficient and to fulfill the family welfare needs of
the people.
To develop appropriate implementing structures to ensure
inter-sectoral coordination amongst various development departments.
Approach:
The policy approach is
multi-sectoral in nature. It stresses the importance of both family planning and
reproductive health services, as well as sustainable social and economic development in
order to step up the pace of population transition in the state. It endeavors to address
the root causes of high fertility viz. gender disparities in access to education,
employment and other productive resources, and thereby create an environment that helps
families make informed decisions. This marks a significant departure from the past, where
'population' was regarded simply as a sub-sector of the health sector. The policy
recognizes that the population perspective must cut across all sectors to achieve the goal
of improving the quality of life of the people. It also recognizes that several issues
impacting on reproductive health status and quality of life require serious advocacy
initiatives in order to mobilize society, change attitudes and trigger action.
Implementation:
The 73rd and 74th Amendment to the Constitution for democratic
decentralization has been fully implemented in the state. The elected three-tier
Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies have been delegated several government
functions. Many residual powers of the state government, hitherto exercised from the state
capital, have been extensively decentralized and delegated to District Planning Committees
which are now vested with powers and responsibilities to plan and implement crucial
development programmes.
'Gram Swaraj' has been
achieved through effective delegation to 'Gram Sabhas' enabling speedy decision making.
Special emphasis has been
placed on literacy, which is a precondition to any real empowerment, through the scheme
for guaranteeing education to all. This is reflected in the increase in female literacy in
the state from 29 percent in 1991 to 50 percent in 2001.
The life of the average
woman is one of deprivation in every sphere. The girl child gets less nutrition, health
care and education- a lesser childhood than the boy child. She soon becomes a woman, often
missing out on her adolescence. She is married early, becomes a mother soon after and that
too at frequent intervals; she has no say in any of these crucial events of her life, each
of which adversely affects her health. The roots of gender inequality are social and
economic. The state policy for women and the state nutrition policy have made serious
efforts towards redressing this imbalance.
Efforts are being made to
provide complete health care, especially to women, through the presence of trained birth
attendants, provision of emergency obstetric care, helping women avoid unwanted pregnancy,
preventing sexually transmitted infections and addressing other factors that contribute to
poor health.
In order to provide
access to health for all, a Prathmik Swasthya Sewa Kosh has been set up to provide
assistance to private service providers in setting up a hospital in hitherto un-serviced
areas.
The 'Swasth Jeevan Sewa Guarantee Yojana'
launched on 11th July 2001 (World Population Day) will further revamp service
delivery systems through direct community action. It is hoped that by end 2002, there will
be no village in the state without a trained Jan Swastha Rakshaka and a Trained Birth
Attendant.
Madhya Pradesh Population Policy
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