Himalayan Times (1960)

December 18, 1960 Himalayan Times

Seven

x During. the period
covered by tba two Plum
the rate of growth hai
jumped from 1.2 per oent
per year to 2 per cent.
The population is expec-
ted to rise to 431 million
in I'.HI and still further
to 480 million in 1966

As the effort to im-
prove health conditions
and provide better living
standards and better
housing—measures calcula-
ted to reduoe the death
rate—is stepped up the
death rate will come down
still further. This is as
it should be.

The birth rate may
also decline somewhat but
sinou it is already high
the rate of growth in
the balance remains at
a sufficiency high level
to make anybody concer-
ned with the future ot
the country sit up and
think

It is obvious that
unless there is a cons-
cious effort on the part
of the people—and suffi
oient facilities are provided
by the State—to keep
down the birth rate, all
the developmental activi-
ties aimed at giving the
people a better life would
be defeated because the
, extra production would
barely meet the require-
ments of the additional
population. The oompa.
ratively low levels of
consumption which obtain

today would not, there-
fore, rise.

This, in nutshell, it
the case for controlling
the growth of population.
It is hardly necessary to
stress that a spaced and
planned family is eminent-
ly desirable from the in-
dividual point of view
also.

Trul a has been in the
forefront insofar as an
officially sponsored family
planning programme is
corioerned. A family plan-
ning clinic was set up in
Mysore over thirty years
ago. When tie First Plan
was adopted tha import-
ance of family planning
whs giving adequate re-
cognition It is natural
that in the initial stages
we should have proceeded
cautiously and oonoentra-
ted on undi rstanding the
factors promoting the
growth of population and
studying popular reactions
to the techniques of con-
rol.

Over these ten years,
a network of family plan-
ning olinics has been set
up, apart from hospitals
and other medical insti-
tutions which provide
assistance and guidance
in the normal oour-se.

A Central Family
Planning Board, with a
corresponding body in
eaoh >tate, has been set
up to promote thinking
and suggest ways of im-

plementing, the family
planning programme.

Apart from . free ad-
vice and instructions in
the ways of family plan-
ning, contraceptives art
given free to people below
a certain level of inoome
and at subsidised rates
to people in other income
groupt. Facilities for ste-
rilisation are provided.
Several States offer a
small monetary allowance
to those who undergo
the operation.

There are, of course,
a number of non official
agencies aotively engaged
in creating awareness of
the problem and guiding
men and women in me-
thods of family planning.
Research is proceeding on
the suitability of an con-
traceptive which can be
manufactured and distri-
buted on mass scale.

In the Third Plan,
the family planning pro-
gramme has been assig-
ned a vital position. A
considerable amount of
money, Rs. 25 ororea, has
been provided for the
programme. It is not,
however, the monetary
value of it whioh is so
important as the effort
which it implied in build-
ing up a system of family
planning olinics, oovering
the whole country, training
the requisite personnel
and in miking every

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