Less than a year before India's most populous state – Uttar Pradesh – is headed off to the state Assembly elections, the Yogi Adityanath government seems to be trying to focus on population control measures.
On 9 July, the state government released a draft of the proposed Population (control, sterilisation & welfare) Bill 2021 for public comments and suggestions till 19 July. Essentially what the draft proposal aims to do is make a two-child policy mandatory for those who wish to avail government benefits.
The draft policy includes both incentives and disincentives to that purpose.
Government employees who have two or less children or those who go for voluntary sterilisation, will get benefits like government subsidies on electricity and water, two extra increments in the course of service, and maternity/paternity leave for 12 months with full salary and allowances.
But violators will be barred from contesting in local body polls, or from government jobs and promotions among other things.