The Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission has released a draft bill on population control that proposes a two-child policy, reported Bar and Bench on Saturday.

The draft bill said that those violating the proposed legislation would be barred from contesting local body elections, applying for government jobs and getting subsidies under government welfare schemes, among other measures.

The state government has invited suggestions from the public on the draft bill, the Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilisation and Welfare) Bill, 2021. The suggestions have to be sent through post or emailed to statelawcommission2018@gmail.com by July 19.

The draft bill said that a married couple expecting their third child at the time of commencement of the legislation would not be considered as violators of the two-child policy. Other exceptions include multiple births in a second pregnancy and adoption.

The draft bill stated that it would be the duty of the state government to introduce a compulsory subject related to population control in all secondary schools, reported Live Law. The government would also ensure availability of contraceptives and encourage their use. The draft of the proposed law added that the the contraceptives should be available at reasonable prices at sub-health centres across the state.

The proposed legislation is an attempt to control and stabilise the state’s population “for promotion of sustainable development with more equitable distribution”, according to Bar and Bench.

The draft bill said that it was necessary to bring in measures to control the population by implementation and promotion of the two-child policy for eligible couples by means of incentives and disincentives.

In disincentives, the draft bill said a government employee would be barred from getting any promotion if the two-child rule was flouted, according to Bar and Bench. This, however, would not be applicable if an employee already has more than two children, the draft of the proposed legislation said.

Further, the draft of the proposed legislation said that government officials or their spouses undergoing voluntary sterilisation would be given various incentives:

  • Two additional increments during the entire service
  • Subsidy for buying plot or house site or for building a house from the Housing Board or Development Authority. 
  • Soft loan for construction or purchasing a house on nominal rates of interest.
  • Rebate on charges for utilities such as water, electricity, water and house tax.
  • Maternity or paternity leave of 12 months with full salary and allowances.
  • A 3% increase in the employer’s contribution fund under national pension scheme.

In case the public servant has only one child and goes through voluntary sterilisation, the child will get benefits like free education till their graduation, free healthcare and insurance till the age of 20, preference in admission in all educational institutions as well as while applying for government jobs, according to Bar and Bench. If the child is a girl, she will get a scholarship for higher studies, the draft bill said.

Any citizen who is not a public servant and adopts the two-child norm by undergoing voluntary sterilisation will also get incentives.

Citizens below the poverty line who have one child and one of the couples undergo voluntary sterilisation would be eligible for payment from the government for a one-time amount, the draft bill said, Live Law reported.