For subscribers
News analysis
Population control plans in 2 Indian states raise concern
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
Children in Mumbai, India, being taught Covid-19 safety protocols last month. While India is expected to overtake China as the most populous country by 2027, fertility rates in most of its states have dipped below the population replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A move by two Indian states to propose policies enforcing a two-child norm has prompted concern. Demographers and women's rights campaigners have questioned the need for the policies amid falling fertility rates and concerns that coercive measures will adversely affect women and marginalised communities.
Earlier this month, Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state with around 230 million people, unveiled a Bill to cut population growth.
