Country's population put at 117.67 crore
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday told the Rajya Sabha that the estimated population of India, as on March 1, 2010, has been put at 117.67 crore.
Quoting a report of the Technical Group on Population Projections constituted by National Commission on Population, Mr Azad in his written reply to a question said that the estimate for total population of India as for March 1, 2020 will be about 132.62 crore.
The annual exponential growth rate of population during the period 2016-20 is estimated to be 1.1 percent.
As per the United Nations Population Projections, 2008 Revision, the Population of India will be 136.72 crore in 2020 and India will continue to be second most populous country in the world.
The Union Minister stated that the Centre has adopted a National Population Policy in February, 2000 which provides for holistic approach for achieving population stabilization in the country. The policy affirms the commitment of the Government towards voluntary and informed choice and consent of citizens while availing of reproductive health care services and continuation of the target free approach in administering family planning services. Some of the fresh initiatives taken by the Ministry for stabilising population in the country are Fixed day Fixed Place Family Planning Services round the year through growing number of 24x7 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and better functioning of Community Health Centres (CHCs) and other health facilities under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
Promoting Intra-uterine Device (IUD-380A) intensively as a spacing method because of its longevity of 10 years and advantage over other IUDs, is also one of the measures to control the population growth rate.
The Centre will also look at the promotion of acceptance of ‘No Scalpel Vasectomy’ to ensure male participation as part of NRHM strategy on population stabilisation.
Increasing the basket of choice by systematically and carefully introducing new and effective contraceptives in the programme are among the other measures taken.
He revealed that the National Family Planning Insurance Scheme had started in November 2005 to compensate the sterilisation acceptors for failures, complications and deaths and also to provide indemnity insurance cover to doctors.
The Minister also revealed that the compensation package for sterilisation was increased in September 2007. The government is now offering Rs 1500 for a vasectomy from the earlier Rs 800. Likewise, for those who opt for tubectomy are now given Rs 1000 from the earlier Rs 800.
The outreach activities through the institution of ASHAs and Monthly Village Health and Nutrition Days under NRHM also help towards population stabilisation, he stated.
The Santushti strategy implemented through Janasankhya Sthrirata Kosh provides private sector gynaecologists and vasectomy surgeons an opportunity to conduct sterilisation operations in Public Private Partnership (PPP).