Whether the proposed Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilisation and Welfare) Bill, 2021, is meant to be political rhetoric, an election gimmick or a way to control the sexual rights of communities is open to debate. Uttar Pradesh’s dismal health care services, coupled with poor reproductive health education, caste/religious discrimination even in health care education and social security, made people hesitate to access these systems. Social indicatorsComparing Uttar Pradesh with Tamil Nadu, Sylvia Karpagam said the population of the dominant caste in Uttar Pradesh was large at 46.2 per cent as opposed to 2.2 per cent in Tamil Nadu. “Even dominant castes in Uttar Pradesh have worse social indicators than the Scheduled Castes in Tamil Nadu. The State had fixed the age at first marriage at 18 and had a better total fertility rate compared with Uttar Pradesh.

Source: The Hindu July 27, 2021 00:22 UTC