PFI Brochure 1980 :: PFI Publication :: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CENTRE PORTAL, POPULATION FOUNDATION OF INDIA

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PFI Brochure 1980

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PFI Brochure 1980

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The 20th century's many achievements have transformed the life of mankind in much of the world,

mostly for the better, but it has also posed the most difficult problem humanity has ever grappled with.

The population has stabilised in those countries where the achievement of high standards of living has

induced people to plan and control the size of their families. In other parts of the world, including India,

the population has grown unchecked to an extent that distorts and endangers a fragile ecosystem, creates

overwhelming presSures on the economy, and is the main cause of OUrslow progress towards the

elimination of the poverty that afflicts such a large section of our people.

One sixth of the world's population-including nearly half the world's absolute poor-resides in India

and a great moral responsibility rests on all of us in industry and commerce to playa part in the solution

of this grievous problem.

The Family Planning Foundation was created justover tenyears ago as an act of faith by a small group

of people who felt the imperative need for voluntary effort tosupplementgovernment family planning and

welfare programmes. In the light of the immensity of the task and the relatively small resources that could be

mustered from its donors in India and abroad, generous as they were. the record of the Foundation's

decade of work has been highly commendable, as will be seen from the following pages. The constructive

value of its research, promotional and funding activities has been recognised in India and in other countries.

Today, India stands on the decisive crossroads of Time. The direction its demofJraphic destiny takes

will determine the future course of events for the country. The 1981 census results have revealed our

population to be 684 million - doubled from the days of Independence already, and adding more than

15 million annually. Some evidence of public concern at this situation has been manifest in recent months.

Not only has the Prime Minister personally addressed the issue of family planning on several occasions,

highlighting its importance to the well being and health of the nation, but it has been included as a priority

in the 20 Point Programme, while parliamentarians and legislators from across the political parties have

endorsed the need to depoliticise family planning and to work unitedly for its promotion. I am happy to say

that the Foundation has played an important part in contributing, to this national renewal of commitment.

A Statement moved and publicised by the Foundation first elicited the support of the leaders of 11 political

parties and set into motion the political consensus of support for the programme.

Altogether, in its decade of activities the Foundation has supported nearly 160 projects across the

country allocating a sum of about Rs. 1.78 crores. Its overall thrust has been on promoting and

supporting relevant and practical research and demonstration programmes of replicative value.

The Foundation can sustain its catalytic activities in this significant national work only with the

continuing support of the business and industrial community of this country. I therefore appeal to you to join

this worthwhile effort by committing funds to support the work on a continuing basis. All contributions

to the Family Planning Foundation are fully deductible for the purpose of assessing taxable income.

Our industrial and business community has the resources. It must additionally realise that philanthrophy

for the population cause is more than a conscience debt the prosperous must pay towards those less fortunate.

For, on the success of this work will ultimately depend its own long term service and prosperity.

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THE CONTEXT

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The burden of a 'Second India' -

the nightmare projection of earlier

demographers - is nOw a reality

of life. From a population of 344

million at the time of Independence,

India had grown to 684 million

by 1st March 1981 and is now

moving inexorably towards a billion

by the tllrn of the century.

Can India's developing economy,

struggling to right the wrongs of

centuries of colonial rule that has

left vast segments of her people

impoverished and exploited, cope

with this tidal inundation of more

numbers along side? The Eighties

present a particularly critical period.

On the one hand. there is now the

full brunt of the physical pressures

created on limited resources by the

human explosion of the past two

decades, as the children of

yesterdaY become the job seekers of

today and the parents of tomorrow.

On the other, there is the grave

moral responsibility of bringing

about a more rational, responsible

reproductive behaviour for this huge

young generation, if the future is

not to be hopelessly mortgaged to

despair and deprivation Therefore,

beyond dispute the most important

challenge of this decade lies in the

demographic sphere. But how

many persons are concerned and

committed on this score? Can

we afford not to be? That is the

question more people need to ask

themselves today.

National Policy

India was among the first few

countries in the world to recegnise

the dangers inherent in rampant

pElpulation growth. Following

Independence, as the country's

leaders embarked 9n the challenging

task of raising the standards of

living of every citizen of free India

through planned development

within the framework Elfdemgcracy,

it was apparent to them tlolatthis

would not be accomplished unless

there was a concomitant effort to

contain the size of the population.

Family Planning as a national pOlicy

was, therefore, adopted in 1952.

This was a historic first in the annals

of governmental population policY,

but unfortunately the earlier

initiative was not matched by an

effective commitment to work.

Population and

Poverty

Beginning with the First Plan

the official programme has, to

date, invested nearly Rs 1,300 crores

on family planning. But so far,

only about 1 in 5 couples in the

country has been persuaded to adopt

a modern method of contraception

to limit the size of the family.

In the 34 years of free existence,

the country's population has

doubled. India is now in the

staggering position of having a

population that is more than the

combined populations of USA,

USSR and Indonesia, the world's

third, fourth and fifth most populous

countries respectively. In the last

decade alone it has added more to

its numbers than the total population

of Brazil, the world's sixth most

popu lous nation, with a land area

two and a half times that of India.

The 1981 Census results

highlighted the population to be not

only 12 million more than earlier

expected at this point of time, but

still more alarmingly the fact that

it was growing at a much faster

pace than had been projected by the

experts so far. The decadal growth

rate of 1971 -81 stood at 24.75

per cent. It tu rned out to be no

different than the decadal growth

rate of the sixties, earlier thought to

be an exceptional period of

phenomenal population increase.

But because of the larger population

base now existing, the seventies

added 136 million, instead elf

the 109 million brought in during the

sixties. If allQwed to continue

unchecked, this same growth

rate will add 171 million over

the present decade of

the eighties - a staggering 17

million a year.

Population density has already

spiralled to 221 per square

kilometer as against a world "average

of 30 and will hit over 300 as India

looms towards a billion. With 2.5

per cent of the world's land area

India has already 15 per cent of the

world's population. In the coming

century it is likely to outstrip the

other demographic giant China to

become the world's most populous

country. In the process, finite

resources are being stretched

to breaking point as they cope

with infinite demands. Essential

human needs, basic human rights

cannot but suffer in the face of such

an assault of ever-increasing

needs.

As of the present, India's

popu lation profile is dismaI

enough. Roughly half the 684

million citizens live submerged

below the poverty line -

denied even tha Rs 75 per

capita per month considered

adequate to provide two square

meals a day. Nearly two thirds of

the population remains illiterate -

thus denied access to skill

formation that wou Id in turn give it

access to the opportunities arising

from developmental activities.

42 per cent of the population

consists gf children below the age

of 14 and another 6 per cent of

those above the age of 60, together

making up an intolerably high

dependency ratio of 87 per cent,

which militates against the capacity

of the economically active to

generate enough savings for

betterment. The negation of the

sum total of devel~pment efforts is

intrinsic to this situation. To allow

an unbridled population increaseto

continue is, therefore, nothing

short of a death knell to peace,

progress and prosperity. The

9bvious conclusion, that follows,

is the need to ensure family planning

efforts accelerate and become more

aCGeptableand effective within a

reasonable time frame.

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The Task Ahead

As of the present, there are 116

million "elig ible couples" - defined

as th::>semarried and with the wife

in the active reproductive years of

15-44 - in th'3 country Of these,

about 22 per cent or 26 million

couples have been effectively

protected through the efforts of

the programme so far.

India has now set itself the

long-term demographic goal of

reaching replacement level of

fertility by the end of the century,

Technically termed NRR of I (Net

Reproduction Rate of Unity) this

means that given certain

levels of fertility and mortality a

woman will replace herself by a

single daughter in the reproductive

years. It implies a

nationwide acceptance of the two

child family - a virtual halving of

family size from the present average

of 4.3 children. The statistical

calculations carving out the path to

this goal stipulate a birth rate of 21

per 1,000 population and a death

rate of 9 per 1,000 must prevail

towards the close of the century.

(The current corresponding figures

are a birth rate estimated at

anything between 33 and 37 and a

death rate of 15). Experts further

calculate that a minimum of 60 per

cent of the "eligible couples" will

have to be won over to family

planning to achieve this goal.

Since by the end of the century the

population base will have further

grown, the 60 per cent will amount

to something between 95 to 100

million couples, depending upon the

ultimate population size reached.

Thus, it may be seen that for every

one couple convinced to practise

family planning during the last 30

years, three more couples will have

to be persuaded in the next

15 years or so.

The avowed aim of the Sixth Plan

is to extend coverage to 36.5 per

cent eligible couples by 1985.

Its operational figures - which have

not been revised in the light of the

1981 Census results and so are

conservative compared to the actual

need - outline reaching 40 million

couples over the five years

(22 million sterilisations, about 8

million IUD insertions and 11

million conventional contraceptive

and oral pill users).

The first two years have hopelessly

shortfalled their assigned share of the

performance. The remaining years

will have to do double work if the

immediate goals. and with them the

long term aims, are not to be

jeopardised.

In recent months a climate of

concern over the inadequacy of

existing family planning efforts has

developed. The Prime Minister has

made severaI personal appeals to

the nation and particularly to the

critical political, administrative and

community leadership at all levels,

to address itself to the family

planning question as a fundamental

plank for the nation's betterment.

Family Planning is 'now a priority

of the 20 Point Programme which

states that "family planning will be

promoted on a voluntary basis as a

people's movement." The Sixth Plan

has earmarked Rs 1,010 crores - the

highest allocation ever made to family

planning so far A Cabinet Sub-

Committee on Family Planning has

been set uP under the chairmanship

of the Prime Minister. At the experts

level the Population Advisory Council

has been constituted within the

Ministry of Health, as a "think tank"

to guide population policy

formulation and implementation.

These are heartening developments

which must now be helped to

amou nt to something more

substantive in the field.

Voluntary Role

However, more than ever before.

there is need for volu ntary effort to

supplement, complement and act as

a force to move government

towards more responsive directions

so that family planning actually

becomes a people's

movement.

The attack has to be multipronged.

On the one side, there is need to

stimulate social and economic

actions to the utmost extent

possible, partiCUlarlyemphasising

the status and opportunities for

women and ensuring access to

health care, so that tangible

development creates an

environment of aspiration and hope

for a quality of life. At the same

time there is need to develop

strategies that will reach both

knowl'edge and services for simpIe,

safe and foolproof methods of

family planning to the doorsteps of

the people. In all this, there is

need to realise that curbfng the

growth of population is not merely

a technical problem of finding

the best means to limit births.

It involves fundamental po litical

decisions and changes in social

attitudes. Altogether, it requires a

total voluntary movement to

upsurge across the nation - in the

ultimate, the only guarantee for

sure success.

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FPF:THE CONCEPT

AND CONCERNS

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The Family Planning Foundation

is a major voluntary effort to

inject appropriate stimulii to the

country's population policies and

activities. A private non-profit

organisation, it is committed to the

task of supporting innovative

programmes and playing a

catalytic role for researchand

action in population and family

planning, with the aim of

constructively influencing national

population programmes and

policies.

FPF came into being as a

registered society in October 1970.

Its birth waS the outcome of the

deep concern of a number of

leading industrialists led by

Mr J R D Tata, plus dedicated

social workers and professionals.

who felt strongly that the

magnitude and complexity of the

population problem required the

offici aI approaches to be fu rther

augmented, supplemented and

supported by effective

non-official initiative.

In FPF the nation acquired a

responsible non-governmental

forum for germinal population

action. Its structure provided

industry, organisations and

~ndividuals with the opportunity for

Involvement in th3 country's

struggle to im::>rovethe quality of

life - a struggle that could only be

a losing one, if the unbridled

poPulation growth went

unchecked. This has filled a felt

need. For as time has shown

the efforts of the core group of

concerned workers that brought

FPF into existence have been

further reinforced by the unstinted

support in diverse ways of

numerous distinguished

professional men and women,

scientists, researchers and persons

prominent in public life, who have

come together to make FPF

perform a seminal role in charting

new courses to study and

solve the complex challenges of the

population problem

FPF's Stance

FPF does not normally undertak~

direct family planning activities.

Its primary purpose is to provide

funds, guidance and support to

appropriate agencies, organisations,

institutions, and individuals

directly engaged in the field.

The Foundation has a small well

organised staff with high technical

competence. It brings into its

operatonal stance both economy and

efficiency. It responds to requests

made and also often develops

projects with the help of other

institutions. It has successfully

involved the best scientific talent in

the country in practically every

aspect of its working - identifying

innovative ideas, designing projects

and in monitoring and evaluation

FPF's critical importance lies in '

identifying and, Wherever needed

stimulating agencies to take up a'

creative role in action programme and

or being involved in forward looking

researchin population control.

It has thus played a particularly

pioneering role in bringing to bear

on Family planning programmes, a

wide. variety of professional and

scientific expertise and expenence

promoting an interaction . '

between academic experts and

actual field work·ersthat has had

mutually beneficial results.

From this research has flowed

frequent feedback of material on

many aspects that has helped to

interpret policies and programmes

in population. FPF's strengths and

pathstriking characteristics further

stem from the fact th3t while it

attempts to function, by and large,

within the framework of the

Government's policies and

priorities, closely liasing and

relating its efforts meaningfully with

the official programmes- it is by

no means circumscribed by the

official pattern of activities.

FPF's Performance

In just about 10 years of active

existence (FPFs administrative

office was set up in March 1971

and the funding programme started

in June 1972) the practical

research projects sponsored by it

have already foreshadowed national

policy developments. But FPF

has not shirked to apply on itself

the rigorous yardstick of monitoring

and evaluation with which it keeps

tab on funded projects so as to

ascertain their progress. Aware of

the importance of an objectve

assessment of its role, FPF recently

took the initiative to ask for an

independent, high-powered

evaluation committee to review

its work since inception.

It is a matter of gratification that

the Evaluation Committee headed

by ex-Chief Justice G D Khosla had

the following comments to make:

"After carefuI consideration of

the various aspects of its working

and the results obtained so far

we are firmly of the view that:

(i) The Foundation has so far

performed a significant and

worthwhile role in the promotion of

its objectives in the context of the

crucial pervasive problem of

population growth and the official

programme of family planning;

(ii) It has established its

credentials as one of the most

effective organisations of national

importance of its kind;

(iii) Its role in the promotion of

much needed bio-social research is

we II appreciated by ind ividuals

and institutions who know and

understand the nature and wide

canvass of its activities;

(iv) Due care has, on the whole,

been exercised in the selection

and support of research projects;

(v) It has shown requisite initiative

and discrimination in supporting

research projects of varied nature;

(vi) The Foundation's Executive has

generally kept a close watch over

the progress of projects supported

by it and has not hesitated to

withdaw the support as and when

circumstances warranted it;

(vii) There have, however, been a

few instance of projects not coming

up to expectations for reasons which

were not always such as could not

have been anticipated; and

(viii) Miscarriage of project has,

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in most such cases, occurred from

factors beyond the control of the

Foundation and their proportion

has been much below what

would be expected in a pioneering

venture in a hitherto uncharted

field of action research concerning

such intimate behaviour as

that of reproduction.

Pol icies and

Procedures

FPF furnishes the necessary

underpinnings of technical and

financial aid for programmes which

fall within the sCOpeof its policy

for promoting action research

in areas which offer hope of

practical solution for problems

identified as targets of attack.

The criteria for selection of such

programmes is exacting: not only

must projects approved for support

have a critical connection to

SUMMARY OF

PROJECTS SUPPORTED

1972 TO 1981

family planning needs, but they

must be, in addition, developmem

oriented, innovative, replicable and

economical with an emphasis on

optimum use of existing technical

and allied infrastructure. There

is no duplication of government

efforts. rather it provides a

critical support in a creative spirit.

Notwithstanding, FPF's marginal

funds in comparison to the

government budget for this work.

its flexibility in action and

independence of judgement enables

it to perform a crucial function,

since it can move quickly to

support projects with potential that

might be denied or delayed

government support under the

latter's specified procedures.

It can initiate and support schemes

calling for unorthodox lesearch

approaches. This entrepreneurial -

type dynamism has secured for

FPF an avante-garde repulation:

of an organisation capable of

remote sensing problems yet to

come and ahead with leads and

directions to solve them.

programmes has gradually risen to

Rs 30 lakhs, although the

demands upon it continue to

grow. The annual budget for

Establishment and Promotional

Activities is about Rs 10 lakhs.

The Governing Board has now

decided to start another drive for

fund raising in India. It is also

seeking support from some of the

international agencies and

philanthropic individuals abroad.

FPF is approved by the prescribed

authority for the purpose of Section

11'96

(11 )

A. Health Related Programmes

B. Bio-medical programmes-basic

research and study

C. Information. Education and

Communication

D. Policy Research and Evaluation

E. Marketing/Management/Administration

F. Conferences/Workshops/Seminars

The bulk of the funds for FPF

operations have been raised from the

private sector, largely from industrial

houses within India. In the

formative stage, the Ford

Foundation made a generous grant

of $300,000 subject to three times

of this amount being raised by the

Indian Industrial Community. In

addition, the Ford Foundation gave

$200,000 for a collaborative

programme of research in the field

of Human Reproductive Physiology

and Contraceptive Techniques.

In 1980 the Ford Foundation made a

further grant of $700,000, this time

on a more generous condition,

namely, on one-to-one matchin6

basis.

FPF has so far raised Rs 155.60

lakhs from the Industrial and

Business Community in India and

has been able to earn interest of

Rs 108.54 lakhs on its capital fund.

Its annual budget for supporting

35 (1) (ii) of the Income Tax Act of

1961 and as such donations made

to the Family Planning Foundation

are hundred per cent deductible

from the income of the donors for

the purpose of assessing taxable

income. Further, this is

irrespective of the amount involved

as the ceiling on contribution by a

company, as stipulated under

Section 293(1) (e) of the Companies,

Act, does not apply to the

don3tions made to FPF.

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AREAS OF ACHIEVEMENT

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In over ten years of its activities,

FPF has approved grants to the

extent of nearly Rs 177.44 lakhs in

support of about 160 projects,

big and small, spread across the

entire canvas of the country.

These projects range the spectrum:

from basic research in the

biomedical and behavioural science

fields to action programmes

that encompass demonstration and

experimental path-finding efforts

to studiES,surveys and evaluations

which aim at providing hard

data inputs for policy decisions.

This ha5 engineered a constant

cycle of action and quick feedback

in areas considered critical at any

point of time and reinforced the

FPF's image as a responsive,

responsible, independent

organisation with the resources and

ability to b3 a catalytic force for a

prime national cause.

The underlying denominator of

FPF's functioning is the search for

methodologies that can converge

to create a national ethos of

urgency to the population question

in which population limitation

becomes a national ethic.

As the Evaluation Committee put it:

"It has succeeded in securing

recognition as an important

organisation with a dynamic role in

helping to solve the national

problem of population control.

It has become known as a national

bodY seeking and promoting

various potentials in the field of

biomedical research for acceptable

contraceptives and initiating and

support progra.mmesof educating

the people and arousing their

awareness of the consequences

o~ over population."

Thus, FPF is set out to identify

and Support the most relevant

approaches; to place possible

solutions in proper perspective and

project them on wider planes for

maximum impact; to mobilise

personnel and popular base support

for the realisation of the population

goals; to help create an

environment in which the intricate,

entwined relationship between

human numbers and social justice

is perceived and tackled with

perceptivity and in a manner that

places human dignity as the

paramount consideration.

Altogether, a complex critical

challenge. To participate in it

has been a matter of patriotic pride

and privilege for all associated

with the work.

Basic Research

Researchto understand the

diverse dimensions of the problem

of human fertility and the dynamics

of the different factors that

influence it is a necessary

prerequisite for population policies

to have an integrated intellectual

perspetive and interdisciplinary

approach. The social and

economic connections in which

fertility behaviour is embedded

need to be more fully seen on the

one hand. On the other, it is

imperative to explore further

avenues to locate still safer, still

more convenient and

economically feasible techniques of

fertility regulation than exist at

present. But at the same time

there is substantial scope for

improving and facilitating the use

of existing contraceptive

techniques. especially keeping in

view the socio economic and other

problems in the Indian setting.

Basic research both in the

behavioural and biomedical

sciences is therefore of critical

importance in a selective way.

Biomedical

A Study Group of senior

biomedical experts of the country

set up by FPF examined the thrust

of biomedical research to determine

suitable priority areas for developing

appropriate technology in

contraception for Indian use. The

Study Report that emerged from this

review is providing a useful guide to

research workers in contraceptive

technology. From this review it is

also clear that research for the

improvement of the existing

contraceptive technology and their

adaptation to the particular needs of

our country requires to be

undertaken on a priority basis.

However, this does not have to be

to the exclusion of research for

developing newer methods of

contraception.

Adaptation for

Appropriate

Technology

FPF's major thrust in the

biomedical field has been the

improvement of existing

contraceptive t€chnology with the

particular view 0 adapting it to

India's conditions and needs. The

existing knowledge and methods of

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contraception have sufficed to help

several developing countries contain

their population, but have failed to

make a similar impact in India,

particularly in the rural areas. For

instance, the IUD has not had the

same success in India as elsewhere

because its bleeding problem looms

larger for Indian women whose

widespread anaemic condition is

aggravated; similarly, the pill

because of daily motivational

dependence and logistics of delivery

has not been able to become the

mass method it is in many countries.

FPF supported research is now

working towards developing newer

modes of delivery of stero;ds into

the body, such as injectables which

will simplify its intake

Another area is indigenous

medicine. A growing body of world

medical opinion has come to realise

that indigenous methods of

contraception constitute a possibly

valuable source of acceptable

solutions. However, these m.ethods

require scientific evaluation to prove

their safety and efficacy beyond

doubt. FPF has initiated scientific

investigation of several herbal

preparations and other traditional

techniques which could yield a

positive outcome. Work carried out

so far has shown encouraging

results in animal studies with a herb

"Banjauri" used by Adivasis of

Bihar for prevention of pregnancy.

Innovation for New

Appropriate

Technology

In the context of the search for

newer methods of contraception

suitable to the Indian milieu, FPF

was the firsttorecognise the

pr,t.1entiaal nd support the

de{felopment of an anti-pregenancy

vaccine. FPF's input was provided

at the very critical germinal stage

well ahead of the international

acclaim of the methodology and

provided the impetus and means for

this research to establish itself. The

work already carried out in this field

by Prof G P Talwar at the All India

Institute of Medical Sciences

provides considerable hope for such

a vaccine to be available for general

use. These studies have also

resulted in the development of a kit

for testing pregnancy in its very early

stages. Pioneering research is also

been carried out with FPF's support

to understand the role hormonal

and enzymatic methods can play to

prevent pregnancy. Three projects

aiming at developing techniques for

prevention of implanatation of

fertilised ovum are prOViding

encouraging results. In an

effort to balance the female centred

bias of most contraceptive

technology, FPF is also encouraging

research on male methods of

contraception. Two projects aim at

study:ng the effects of intervention

in sperm maturity, as opposed to

preventing sperm formation which

has complications of libido

decrease.

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Career

Development

One of the most critical inputs

FPF has provided to the development

of biomedical research in India is

through its Career Development

Research Awards Scheme, which

was geared to the creation 6f human

resources for the country in the

shape of a cadre of middle level and

senior scientists to provide quality

technical manpower in reproductive

research. The programme

supported the most promising areas

of research in fertility control

through a scheme of fellowships

awarded to outstanding and/or

promising scientists in the field.

This programme identified and

encouraged promising, as well as

well known, Indian scientists to take

up research on reproduction

mechanisms as part of a long term

interest; it also seeks to reverse brain

drain to an extent by stimulating

and bringing back talented Indian

scientists residing abroad to work in

suitable laboratories in India.

Eight fellowships Were awarded

under CDRS and it is heartening that

most of these fellows have now

been employed as scientific staff of

their institutes.

Behavioural & Social Science Research

From its inception FPF has been

sensitive to the fact that the social

.and behavioural sciences have

not yet impacted sufficiently on

population research which has been

monopolised greatly by the

demographic overview. There is a

pressing need to understand

fertility behaviour at the micro

level - at the family and

community level - before it can be

influenced to change in

accordance to national needs.

FPF has tried to fill some of the

lacunae by identifying the crucial

areas of needed research and by

bringing about an involvement of

some of the country's foremost

social and behavioural scientists in

population research work.

The maiden exercise in this

pioneering work was the

commissioning of a status study in

population research with focus on

behavioural sciences, the first

such attempt in the country.

As a sequel to this investigation,

followed a review of existing

sociological and related literature

with focus on fertility and culture

undertaken by three leading social

scientists of the country -

Dr M N Srinivas, Dr A R Desai

and Dr Roy Burman - in order to

understand rural, urban and tribal

family community.

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Another study with considerable

methodological interest currently

under way is that of poor slum

women in six cities of northern

India - Delhi, Meerut, Kanpur,

Lucknow, Indore and Agra.

Through observation of the self

perception and articulation

of these wom 3n this study is

attempting to develop social and

demographic profiles of

women in their multiple roles as

influenced by the social change

process, with a particular focus on

fertility behaviour and family

planning practices. In another

study of Muslim families the

emphasis is on contrasting fertilitY

attitudes within the community,

to understand the differential

impact of the modernisation

process.

Each one of these studi.es is not

only [1ioneering in the matter of

id6ntifying important areas of

study, but also in conceptualising the

approach and methodology

for these types of studies.

The examples cited here are

illustrative of the wide sample of

activity stimulated in this particular

sphere, hitherto relatively

unexplored.

Action Programmes

A pressing ne€d of the

dev&loping world in general, and

India in particular, is to identify

some strategies that can help

create for its millions a new design

for living. A design that is

compatible with human dignity,

non disruptive of the cultural

context and implementable within

the frame work of severe resource

and time limitations. The process of

social change must be hastened

and progress telescoped to reach

the nation's submerged millions so

as to draw them abreast with the

dYnamic developments of

industrial societies.

Social action to restructure

society and recast it in a more

equitable mould takes many forms.

But a critical component of this

action is the integration of the

population concern within the

overall develdpmental thrust -

since the small family is not only

pivotal to economic development

but equally to the improvement of

the quality of life, and particu larly

critical to the betterment of the

s~tus 8f women and children.

Projects that provide insights into

the psyche of the people, that

demonstrate ways and means to

reach the community with pertinent

messages, that develop the

instruments for doing it and offer

models for replicability and

extension - theso have been

FPF's coneern in several different

ways' the sum total of which

makes up a comprehensive

programme of social action by FPF,

and the predominant share

of its funding.

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Health and

Health Related

Care

Community

Approach in

Action

Locating an appropriate

methodology for the delivery of

health care, including family

planning services, has been a prime

notable examples of Which are

Tilonia in Rajasthan and Jamkhed in

Maharashtra - with the object of

triggering replication.

area of focus for FPF. Within this,

special importance has been given

to strategies that particularly protect

and promote the health of mother

and children, which has been

recognised as a fundamental plank

for the acceptance of the small

family norm. To mention some

highlights; FPF funded projects have

preceded by several years the new

official approach for a community

health worker thrown up from

within the community - women

slum dwellers trained as effective

pregnancy counsellors in Madras by

an interdisciplinary approach that

brought together for tho first time

medical and social work

educationists; community nurses in

Kerala attempting to define a new

category of middle level worker as a

supervisory link service between

the doctors and the periphery

work'3rs (foreshadowing the health

assistant in the national pattern) ;

direct action by voluntary

organisations: through several such

projects FPF has provided models

of the potential of community

participation in health and health

related delivery work. Today, as the

government has taken up the CHW

approach as a major national

strategy, FPF is further attempting to

provide regional and community

specific variants on the theme to

supplement the official stereo typed

approach which is inevitably facing

difficulty. Currently, FPF is also

documenting case studies of six

different successful community

.... the Village Health Committee is one

approach in community involvement

based voluntary projects. The jdea-

is to provide through these profiles,

a glimpse of the mix of the

ingredients and strategies that have

worked in these situations -

One notable project that seeks to

deliver comprehensive health care

services to the community through

voluntary efforts and local

leadership is in the tribal belt in

Bihar with Shri Jayaprakash

Narayan's Sarvodaya Ashram at

Sokhodeora as the nucleus.

Practitioners of indigenous medicines

are also involved in this.

The initial project provided some

very encouraging results and h:is

been extended to cover th8 entire

block. Similar demonstration

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projects are being supported in

Kashmir,Andhra Pradesh and West

Bengal. In Madurai, Tamil Nadu an

action research project covering the

entire district has shown how

existing government infrastructure

and primary h3alth centres can

be further sensitised and improved

to serve community needs.

AI.hough, all the demonstration

projects have the comman thread

of a search for th e best health care

and family service delivery pattern

through the training and

utilisation of local workers, each

one of these projects has its own

sp ecialised stance. The hope is

that the cumulative sum of

information and knowledge

emerging from these projects will

be able to provide th3 national

programme more app~opriate

methodologies to achieve its

objectives.

Side by side with the need to

develop paramedical and

non-traditional systems of delivery

of health and family planning

servicos, th·::Heremains a critical

need to intensify, to a much greater

degree, 1hJ involvem3nt and

commitment of the medical

profession to the family planning

programme. In this direction, FPF

has been able to strengthen the

instruments of dialogue for a more

effective integration of practising

physicians in the national

population programme, as well as

in the training of physicians to

take on this role with more

appropriate zeal.

• " . Community health

agents of change.

workers as

Improvement of

MTP Service

The continuirg high incidence of

illegal abortion despite the passing

of the MTP Act, points to the dire

need for development of better

services, particularly in the rural

areas, via qualified personnel

and new technology tha( is now

available to simplify the

procedure to the minimum.

..... women slum dwellers trained as

effective pregenancy counsellors.

Community Based

Distribution

A major contribution in this field

has been FPF's support to a

network of government MTP

clinfcs in various parts of UP,

upgrading skills and equipment

and alongside seeking to

understand tho psychology of the

abortion seeker.

A new approach for an effective

offtake of contraceptives is currently

been developed in Manipal where

a community based distribution

programme for supply of pills and

condoms backed by specialised

marketing and managerial techniques

is being initiated. This is another

aspect of FPF's continuing efforts to

stimulate different components of

society to participate in the family

planning effort. Another project

orgftnised male sterilisation camp!>in

Madras: a small infusion of funds

triggered off enthusiasm and

catalysed collaboration between

voluntary and official systems

resulting in high achievement of

targets. This has provided a model

for the mass sterilisation camp

approach.

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Policy Research and Evaluation

The monitoring of ongoing

programmes in diffarent sectors to

assess their intrinsic worth for

population needs, replicative value

and/or scope for furthering

population goals, is a vital function

of FPF work. This has resulted in

several publications of note which

have been useful in influencing

national trends.

Family Planning &

Organised Industry

In a totally different sector - the

industrial arena - FPF was the

first in the country to recognise that

the infrastructure of the industrial

wnits provided an excellent

opportunity for pursuing population

goals and identified a special

strategy for family planning work

with industrial workers.

Six profiles of successful family

planning programmes in the

industrial sectOr are now under

preparation.

A highly innovative experiment

to which FPF provided sustaining

strength at a critical juncture

and which has been evaluated for

the local impact it has made, as

also the leads it offers to other

organised labour units, is the

UPASI project. Here the impact

on fertility of deferred incentives

through an unique. No Birth Bonus

Scheme plus a comprehensive

labour welfare plan that provides

health care, creches, recreation

clubs, and primary schools

has been supported and studied.

Now, a cost benefit analysis is

being made.

Studies with Policy

Impl ications

With the release of the 1981

Population Census Results it has

become apparent that the population

growth rate during 1971 -81 has

shown no signs of decline as

compared to the previous decade.

Major population concerns facing

the nation in the coming decade,

assume more gravity as the

growth-rate now works on a

larger population base, adding as

many as 16 to 17 million persons

every year.

While examining various aspects

of the recent population trend, FPF

has decided to commission some

major studies with focus on

population policies. As a follow-up

of the salient features of the 1981

population census, studies on states

registering a decline in population

growth-rates in 1971-81 over

1961-71 are being matched with

those displaying higher growth -rates.

The studies on states ara intended to

make a diagnosis of the

determinants of both declin ing and

rising population {lrowth.

Considering the enormity of the

Rs 1,010 crore funds allocated to

family planning and family welfare

programmes during the Sixth Five

Year Plan, FPF also considered

worthwhile to review the allocation

aspect of the resources. The review,

inter-alia, aims to answer a few

pertinent questions which have noli\\.

come to surface. What is the

rationale governing the allocation of

funds on family planning and family

welfare and what are their policy

beneficiaries and what are the

benefits realised? Similarly, studies

on infant mortality behaviour in India

and their implications on fertil:tY

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regulation and fertility conrtol are

also coming into major purvi<lw of

FPF's activities in the coming years.

It has come to light that high levels

of infant mortality persist inter-alia

when family planning efforts become

ineffective. In other words, there

is need to pl.scehigher priority to

reduction of infant mortality rates

c:sa first vital step to precede any

efforts to promote family planning

acceptance.

As a part of the programmes of the

International Women's decade, FPF

has organised a project on Status

of Women and their rola in decision

making in the family in different

communities. The focus naturally

lies in ascertaining how far women

influence the decision making process

regarding acceptance of family

planning methods. Besides, in view

of the crucial role played by

female age at marriage in

d&termining fertility behaviour,

the FPF has considered to support a

project to isolate "Socio economic

Determinants of Age of Female

at Marriage."

Population

Monograph

At the international level ESCAP

which is currently bringing out

monographs on population for

each country in the region has in

acknowledgement of the high

degree of population expertise

available within India. made an

exception of the task of preparing

India's monograph. This

document has been entrusted to

FPF in collaboration with Indian

Association for the Study of

Population. The population

monograph is being prepared with

a view to provide an authoritative

demographic profile, alongside a

review of the areas that influence

fertility, with a view to enhance

national and internatione.1

understanding of population facts

for the purposes of developmental

planning.

.... FPF film Parvati won the Best

Promotional Documentarv Award in the

National Film Festival 1978.

Information & Communication

A primary task of any popu latlon

programme is to provide

information, education and

communication services. It is only

through awareness and

understanding of the problem that

political commitment and

popular acceptance - the two

planks necessaryfor the

programme to move - can be

generated. Mention has already

been made elsewhere of the

pioneering work in population

education conducted under the

aegis of the FPF. The work in the

communication field has covered

several different aspects - from

sensitising rural leaders in

population and development

concerns to developing material

providing simple and accurate

information on sex, contraception

and family planning for

neo-literates. Another sociological

study sponsored by FPF has

provided insights garnered from a

six month exposure to young

married rural couples in the form of

a report and a film with a strong

family planning massage in a

;>opularidiom. Particular mention

is due to another FPF film -

Parvati - which focuses on the

women's status issue and its

inextricable link with family

planning. Parvati won the Best

Promotional Documentary film

award in the national film festival

held in 1978 and has been

released by the government for

wide dissemination throughout

the country.

An important aspect of FPF's

contribution in the communication

field is a project that was

launched in the wake of the post

emergency derailment of the family

planning programme. This has

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... .information and communication project to catalyse support at critical levels of

leadership

played a key role in regenerating in

the country a climate of concern and

a mood for action for family planning.

Two major highlights of the direct

communication effort undertaken

by the project have been widely

publicised interviews with J P in

September 1978 and Prime Minister

Gandhi in September 1980-:n both

instances, the key political figure of

the time brought on record in a

public statement of support for

family planning at a time when it

remained a prickly issue. The

considerable efforts to depoliticise

family planning, culminated in a

statement sponsored and published

by the Foundation last year that was

endorsed, among others, by leaders

of 11 major political parties, leading

to a movement for a national

consensus on the subject. Further.

work with Parliamentarians and

legislators on the one hand and large

organisations like UNICEF, the

milk cooperatives, handloom and

handicraft structures on the other,

has helped the family planning

cause to take root in larger systems.

Alongside it has identified and

developed strategies on how to

involve development functionaries

engaged in child development, such

as the ICDS workers, and women's

extension workers, like

mukhyasevikas, in family planning

in a more positive way.

Seminars &

Conferences

As part of a purposive effort to

stimulate new ideas, exchange and

pool information and develop

expertise particularly among the

younger social and biomedical

scientists and leaders of the lay

public, regarding population

probl6ms, FPF periodically sponsors

seminars and conferences.

During the World Population Year,

FPF played a prominent role in

s6nsitising voluntary organisations,

academic research and professional

organisations and the mass media to a

more positive and relevant support

of the population issue.

Institutional

Development

A priority area of support for FPF

is the development of institutional

capability for population work.

This has two elements: one, the

nuturing of new agencies; and

secondly, the addition of a new

dimension to the vision of

dedicated workers. Illustrative of

the first category is the work with

the National Institute of Design,

Ahmedabad, a premier educational

institution of the country. Through

sustained efforts and a series of

workshops NID has been motivated

to take up family planning

communication work as an integral

part of the institution's social

communication syllabus. The FPF