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Odisha to discuss continuing two-child law in panchayats amid declining TFR
A United Nations Population Fund concept note on demographic transitions in Odisha said the government should revisit provisions of Odisha Gram Panchayat Act on the two-child norm
Bhubaneswar: Odisha will this week discuss if its two-child norm in the gram panchayats and zilla parishads needs to be relooked, people familiar with the matter said amid reports of significant decline in fertility rates between 2005-06 and 2019-2.
According to a concept note by the United Nations Population Fund on the demographic transitions in the state, the government should revisit provisions of Odisha Gram Panchayat Act, which prohibits anyone with more than two children from contesting elections since the target of bringing down the total fertility rate to below 2% has been achieved.
Quoting from the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), the concept note pointed that the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of Odisha has declined to 1.8% from 2.1% in 2015-16.
TFR is the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her child-bearing years. Simply speaking, it is the average number of children in a nuclear family.
The concept note said the 15-year decline in TFR at over 1.9% every year was one of the sharpest decline in the fertility. “Odisha is projected to witness ‘baby bust’. Between 2011-2036, Odisha will see 25% fewer babies, which in absolute terms, is projected to be around 0.7 crore less births in 2036 compared to 2011. Odisha may like to revisit the existing policy frameworks for adolescents and young people, old age people, urban development and women empowerment,” the note said.
The two-child norm in panchayats started soon after the 1991 census when the National Development Council set up a committee on population with then chief minister of Kerala K Karunakaran as its chairperson in 1992. Rajasthan introduced the two-child rule for panchayats and municipalities in 1992 before the NDC committee’s recommendations were received. Odisha introduced it for zilla parishads in 1993 and for panchayat samitis and gram panchayats in 1994.
Odisha’s director of family welfare, Bijay Panigrahi declined to comment on the note, saying it was a policy decision of the government.
An official of the planning and convergence department said a meeting on UNPF suggestion is scheduled on June 11.
A senior official of panchayati raj department, however, said it will not be prudent to withdraw the rule.
“In a poor state such as Odisha where the percentage of people living below poverty line is still high, we would not want families to become bigger. Despite the declining TFR, it is not as if population growth has become stagnant. I don’t think the state government will do away with the two child norm,” he said.
Quoting the NFHS-5 which reported a decline in sex ratio at birth in 18 of the state’s 30 districts, the concept note said there is massive sex selection happening in Odisha and families now want only male child. “If the phenomenon and practice is not changed and corrected, the future complexion of Odisha’s adolescent and young population will be more masculine,” it said.
The UNFPA note said though the population growth rate has declined, the 4.1 crore population of Odisha in 2011 would be around 4.9 crores in 2036.
It also cautioned that Odisha’s population is ageing at a relatively faster pace and underlined that the size of its 60+ population is projected to increase by 114% between 2011-2036. The old age or 60+ population bracket of Odisha is projected to increase from 0.38 crore in 2011 to 0.83 crore in 2036, it said.
