New Delhi(AsiaNews/Cwnews) - Another state in India - the central state of Chattisgarh - has announced that it will not enforce the controversial two-children-per-family norm designed to curb the nation's population growth.
Chattisgarh is the second state-- after neighbouring Madhya Pradesh-- to declare that it will no longer require adherence to the 2-child norm for candidates in local elections. Raman Singh, chief minister of Chattisgarh, gave this assurance on Sunday to Mani Shankar Iyyer, the federal minister in charge of village and municipal council matters.
The change of heart by state leaders is a response to sharp criticism of the 2-child norm by federal government leaders, who have objected to policies that use coercion or quotas to curb population growth. Several Indian states have enacted laws that bar families with more than 2 children from receiving housing loans, holding government jobs, or gaining admission to public schools.
Last July, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted that coercion of any kind to achieve population stabilisation was unacceptable in a free society. The Prime Minister was chairing a meeting of the re-constituted National Commission on Population in New Delhi.
Dr Manmohan Singh made it clear that government's policy does not encourage incentives and disincentives since in the past these had, at best, marginal impact and sometimes even caused resentment and non-acceptance.