Population control fiasco

The ill-advised two-child policy must be reviewed

A new draft Bill prepared by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Law Commission seeks to bar people having more than two children from contesting local body elections, availing themselves of subsidies, and applying for government jobs in the state. The Bill also proposes incentives for those who decide to adhere to the two-child policy. The state government aims to reduce the total fertility rate (TFR) in the state from 2.7 per cent to 2.1 per cent by 2026. UP is not the only state looking to control population growth in this manner. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, for instance, has