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Focus 1994 January - March |
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Volume VIII. No. 1
January - March. 1994
INITiATIVE IN RAJASTHAN
.frlundation Group 1\\!Ieetsthe Chief Minister and Holds Roundtable
r'
IDiscussions with Programme Administrators
n pursuance of its well- met the Chief Minister of Rajasthan
considered
strategy
to Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
and Social Leaders
concentrate efforts and resources in Jaipur. The same day a
---on
four northern states of V.P., M.P., Roundtable with some very
Bihar and Rajasthan where almost eminent persons and representatives
42% of India's population lived and
where family planning and health
programmes needed a special boost,
the Population Foundation of India
(formerly Family Planning
of voluntary organisations took
note of the whole range of
issues relating to the status of
family planning programme in
Rajasthan.
The Family Planning Foundati9n
has taken a new name .,- Population
Foundation of India..
A decision in this regard was
takep unanimously at the meeting of
the Governing Board of the Family
Planning foundation held on March
30, 1995"under the Chairmanship of
late Mf J'R D Tata. Necessary legal
and procedural formalities having been
completed, the change has now come
into effect.
.
"Change in the population
environment and emergence of vital
concerns like human development,'
environment, migration, etc. which
have a 'profound 'impact on the
population scenario hilve necessitated
this change of name to reflect our
clrange of stance and renewed
commitment to larger objectives", Mr
Tata had obse'rved at the said meeting
while commending the new name.
Population Foundation of India delegation with Rajasthan Chief Minister. From left to right :
Rechristening of the Family
Dr Devendra Kothari, Mr Harish Khanna, Dr Bharat Ram, Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Planning Foundation has'com!,! in the
and Dr Ranjit Roy Chaudhury,
wake of a "policy Paper on Future
Foundation) launched a new
Directions of the Foundation" drawn
I up by its Executive-Director, MrHarish
initiative to interact with the State
poli tical and adminis tra tive
leadership as well as with like minded
individuals and institutions.
A beginning was made with
Rajasthan when on March 12, 1994,
_a smalldelegation of the Foundation
led by its Chairman, Dr Bharat Ram,
Addressing the small gathering,
the Chief Minister gave details of
some of the innovative ideas
promoted by him. He said that before
proposing legislation under which
people seeking eledions to
Panchayats would adhere to small
Khanna, on the basis of the consensus
arrived at during discussions at various
meetings of the ad hoc Policy Advisory
Group'set up for this purpose in early
1991. The Group comprised the late
Dr Dipak Bhatia, Dr(Mrs) Banoo J
I Goyaji, Dr V A Pa; Panandiker, Dr K
Srinivasan, Dr T C Anand Kumar, Dr
J K Satia and Mr Harish Khanna.
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family norm, he had undertaken a
number of extensive visits to different
parts of Rajasthan interacting with
Role of
Electronic and Folk lVledia
Minister that the Foundation had
been working closely with the apex
bodies of Industry as well as come
community leaders so as to create a
The Chief Minister also Chambers of Commerce & Industry
positive atmosphere for the expressed the view that although the in the country with the result that
acceptance of this idea of far reaching IEC department of the Rajasthan more q.,.'1d more entrepreneurs were
import.
Government had taken some useful appreciating the value of investing
Referring to the success initiatives to promote family life resources in promoting family
achieved in securing very high levels education, he felt that much more planning among their workers. He
of literacy in Ajmer and Doongarpur needed to be done especially by the was now thinking of suggesting to
districts, the Chief Minister stated public media likeradio and television. the apex organisations to advise
that he was convinced that in all He felt that film being an extremely their affiliated members to underta.~e
segments of the Rajasthan society, popular form of mass entertainment, a programme of establishing schools
there was now an intense desire to be could also play a critical role in and reproductive health centres.
literate and educated. Realising the bringing about heightened
Appreciating the Foundation's
value of education for female consciousness and larger public role in this behalf the Chief Minister
children, the
of Rajasthan
Chief Minister
said
his
recalled Mr
J R 0 Tata's
government
abiding
had decided to
interest in
provide text
supporting
.oOKsfree and
this cause
to support
and advised
special head-
that Dr
start progra-
Bharat Ram
nunes in the
may add-
underdeveloped
ress indivi-
parts of the
dual Cham-
state. He also
bers to 11{~lp
referred to his
augment
idea of involv-
health and
ing religious
educational
leaders beca-
infrastructure,
use in our
At the Roundtable'di.soussion from lell to right: Mr Harish Khanna, Dr Bharat Ram, Dr Rameshwar
so that the
traditional cul-
Sharma, Vice-chancellor, University of Rajasthan and Dr Devendra Kothari.
cumulative
ture their
impact obt-
support to good causes was essential support. In a recent informal meeting ained from Government's efforts and
to mobilise the masses. Since with some film industry people voluntary initiatives is considerable.
education alone could bring about shooting in Rajasthan,he had moo~ed
Dr Bharat Ram while thanking
rapid and equitable economic the idea that each film sould the Chief Minister for his whole-
development, he had decided to link compulsorily include a sequence hearted encouragement and valuable
education with employment and highlighting the population issue in ideas expressed the hope that the
population strategies. The Chief its various human dimensions. He Government will succeed in
Minister said that his government ha,d also requested Ms na Arun, a hastening the pace of population
was proposing to prescribe a popular folk singer of Rajasthan, to decline, imporve outreach and
commitment at the time of entry into compose some moving songs to focus quality of services and generally
government service to make the entire on the status of women, their needs mobilise political and administrative
famlly unit of the employee literate and obligation of society at large to support for this all important task.
within three years. Similarly, it was .create favourable conditions for their
proposed to urge industry to make
substantial contribution to the
promotion of education and
professional skills for their workers
because that was the only way in
which their economic status could
improve.
development.
Involvement of the
Organised Sector
Dr Bharat Ram, Chairman of
the Foundation, informed the Chief
Roundtable Meet to
Indentify Priority Areas
There was a lively and useful
discussion and exchange of ideas at
the roundtable meet organised by
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the Population Foundation of India SOffie of L'1e factors responsible for analysed by the Population
on 'Identification of Priority Areas poor performance of the family Foundation of India Jor promoting a
for Population Interventions in welfare programme.
multi-faceted reproductive health
Rajasthan' on the same day.
Stressing the need for careful programme the focus of which will
Dr Devendra Kothari, Professor, redefining of the scope of the be women and children, adolescent
Population Science in Indian Institute programme, he said it was not a youths and generally all those who
of Health Management Research correct approach to weave an desire to limit their famiiy size but
(IIHMR), Jaipur and Honorary government efforts or programmes need access to advice and services.
Advisor of the Foundation for to control and stabilise population
The delegation which met the
Rajasthan, presenting his status report around family planning only.
Chief Minister included Dr. V.A. Pai
told the meeth,g that findings of
,Although fertility is a complex· Panandiker, Director Centre for
several studies had indicated that a issue, it is influenced by various Policy Research, New Delhi, Dr.
vast majority of people in general factors like female literacy, status of Ranjit Roy Chaudhury of the J.N.u.
and eligible couples (aged between women, preference for male child - both members of the governing
15-49 years) in particular had a and age at the time of marriage. . board of the Population Foundation
favourable attitude towards the Therefore, the family welfare of India, Mr. Barish Khanna,
family planning programme in the programme should be considered as Executive Director of the Foundation,
state, despite a high level of illiteracy .one of the many efforts required to and Dr. Devendra Kothari, Honorary
and poverty. But the snag was that arrest the galloping population Advisor of the Foundation in
inspite of their keenness to practice growth and should be considered Rajasthan.
family planning they were unable to simply as a 'service agency'.
In addition to the above,
do so because of poor quality of
Dr Rameshwar Sharma, a well- participants in the roundtable
services and inadequate follow-up. known health and population expert discussions included Dr. Rameshwar
Had the family planning programme and currently Vice-Chancellor of the Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, University
succeeded in converting the desire of Rajasthan University, conducted the of Rajasthan, Dr. L.K. Kothari, retd.
these eligible couples into demand, roundtable discussions which threw Prof. SMS Medical Collage, Jaipur,
the national !arget of couple up a number of ideas and Mr. Giridhar, Director Ill-IMR,Jaipur,
protection rate of 60% by the end of suggestions.
Mr. Udai Pareek of IIHMR, Jaipur
the century could have been achieved
Dr. Mohan Advani of Population
atleast six years before the due date
in Rajasthan, he said.
Structural Problems
Discussing problems faced by
the family planning programme, Dr
Kothari said there was a lack of
suitable intersectoral coordinating
mechanism, besides ineffective
management of the programme.
«. i
Advocating a major shift in
I
policy perspective for revitalisation
of the population stabilisation efforts,
he suggested creation of a high
Committed Voluntary
Initiative
In his introductory remarks,
Dr. Bharat Ram clarified that it was
not intended to restrict the scope of
discussions to the status report
because their intention was to get
fresh ideas from the participants on
the whole range of issues connected
with population stabilisation so as to
enable the Foundation to identify
priority areas for initiation of projects
in Rajasthan.
Earlier, in his welcome address
Research Centre, Udaipur, Prof. J.e.
Kavoori, social scientist, Jaipur, Ms.'
Kantal Ahuja, Vice-Chancellor
Univeristy of Ajmer, Dr. G.S. Gehlot,
Director Medical and Health Services
(F.W.), Dr. M.M. Gogna, Additional
Director (F.W.), Dr. N.M. Sfughyi,
Additional Director, Medical Health,
Mr. Rohit R Brandon, Director
(LE.e.), Mr. R.S. Sharma, Deputy
Director (LE.e.), Govt. of Rajasthan,
Mr. Sanjay Ghosh of Urmal Trust
and Smt. Vimla Mittal Director,
Doordarshan, Jaipur.
powered automonous apex body·
called the Population Commission
headed by the Chief Minister, to
coordinate activities of various
departments in order to generate
Shri Harish Khanna, Executive
Director of the Foundation, stressed
the need and importance of such
meets in strengthening the
participation of non-governmental
The overall 'situ~tion on the
environment front is not
encouraging.... We have the
environmental values built in our
cultural traditions. But the old value
system has collapsed and we have
effective demand for family planning sector by providing well-informed not been able to introducein its place
services.
.
Dr Kothari identified some of
the structural problems like over-
centralisation, absence of marketing
and committed voluntary initiative
in population stabilisation efforts.
The ideas and suggestions that
carne up at the meeting with the
a new value system. We have to
introduce demographic and
environmental values into our
educational system. Unless we do
that we will face a collective disaster.
approach to create effective demand, Chief Minister of Rajasthan and
Dr Karan Singh, President
excessive medicalisation of the during the discussions at the
prograrrune and its diffused scope as roundtable meet are being carefully
ThB PBopft:J's Commission on
Environment & Development
.-.---
---~ -P'~~_'
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n October 2, 1993, was and geographic milieu of me region lYlethodo logy
launcheu at Parwanoo, at,
industrial complex 10 .KM
from Kalka on the Kalka-Shimla
Road, a new project funded by the
Population Foundation of India
(formerly Family Planning
Foundation) to develop Family
Welfare Education Programme
among industrial workers, especially
women work-force, along the Kalka-
Solan industrial belt.
"Centre for Better Eife" as the
project is known, is a collaborative
effort of the Anand Welfare Centre
(run by the Anand Group of
Companies) and the Population
Foundation of India (PFI).
is homogeneous enough to receive a
uniform treatment.
Implementing Agency
The Anand Group of Industries
has played a pioneering role to cater
to the welfare needs of the
communities at Kalka and Parwanoo.
through their welfare centre - the
Anand Welfare Centre (AWC) - at
Parwanoo. The activities of the AWC
include adult literacy, health check-
ups, family welfare, immunisation,
etc. AWC will be the centre for
counselling and will also act as a
nodal agency to provide a forum for
a systematic awareness programme
as also to establish linkages with
As the main implementing
agency, AWC will network. with
other health centres in the area to
cover the entire Solan-Kalka
industrial complex in due course. It
will conduct a series of workshops
for worker-motivators and societal
mobilisers nominated by the
participating social organisations. Its
twice-a-week social mobilisation
programme will include topics like
problems faced by mothers, access to
reliable medicare, introduction to
reproductive health care and family
welfare and provision of suitable
spacing contraceptives after proper
evaluation.
Target Area
With 192 functipnal large,
PHC sub-centres and other health
facilities in the area like ESIC, etc.
Progress
medium and small industrial units,
The Population Foundation of
The implementation of the
Parwanoo, a beehive of indsutrial India has undertaken to provide Project got delayed due to unforeseen
activity situated in the Solan district communication support as well as circumstances and it could
of Himachal Pradesh, has a work- training to nominated cadres in commence from February I, 19?4
force of 6483with a sizeable number reproductive health education. It will only. In the meantime, a team
of female workers. Almost all the also monitor the progress of the comprising a local programme
married female workers have small project and suggest mid-course director and two field workers /
families. The most obvious need is interventions for its successful counsellors, allstationed at Parwanoo
birth spacing counselling so that completion. The Foundation has has been put in position.
mothers with one child could delay made a monetary commitment of Rs.
In a meeting beween the Project
the second child and those already 3 l~s for this two-year project team and the representatives of the
with two or three children could be -~ru.ch is expected to continue on its Foundation held at Parwanoo on
persuaded to adopt a terminal 'own after the withdrawal of February 17, 1994, the Executive
method.
Foundation support.
Director of the Foundation briefed
The total femellepopulation in
the team in detail with a view to
Solan district is about 1,82,030out of ,Main objectives
building up activities for realising
which 1,60,715live in the rural areas
The Project aims at creating project objectives. An understanding
while the remaining 21,315 in the
urban areas. While the female literacy
awareness on spacing methods not
only among the female industrial
has also been reached with the ESIC
and district medical authorities to
rate in urban areas is 80.3%,it is only workers but also at spreading this respond to enhanced need of
46.7% is rural areas. Overall male awareness among non-industrial industrial workers and their families
and female literacy rates in the district female members of the community fo reproductive health service. After
are 74.67%and 50.69% respectively. , at large. With its well-coordinated the roundtable meet at Parwanoo
Majority of the industrial
workers of Parwanoo live in Kalka
health service back-up strategy
incorporating IEC,it will be creating
(reported separately), there has been
a marked step-up in project activities.
(situated in Ambala district of promoters of the spacing methods
Haryana State) and the neighbouring from within the community itself to
hill villages. Despite the fact that ensure n:otonly the continuity of the
Solan and Kalka are situated in two activity but also its extension to the
-different states;- the-socio-cultural hiIiterland.
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ParLvanoo Rouruitable sets tone for
President's Call fOAf
}rnplm,enfation of the ne~v P'YDject fDr Better Child Health Care
prDmoting spacing rnethvds .
The
President, Dr
In furtherance of the objectives
of the collaborative project of the
Population Foundation of India and
the Anand Welfare Centre
inaugurated at Parwanoo an October
2, 1993, it was felt that leaders of
Industry in Himachal Pradesh,
particularly in the Solan-Kalka belt,
need to be brought together at a
Roundtable for greater utilisation of
theexistingfacilitiesatAnand Welfare
Centre, . ESIC, and the State
Government Hospitals, for better
reproductive health care of the
industrial workers.
In thisregard, thePHDChamber
of Commerce and Industry
(PHDCCI) in collaboration with' the
Population Foundation of India,
organised a discussion on :'Dynamics
Shankar Dayal
. induded Gabriel, Purolator, Eicher,
Sharma, expre-
Himachal Fasteners, A.B. Tools,
ssed concern over
Kalima Enterprises, Himachal
the infant morta-
Aluminium and Mohan Meakin
lity rate in the
Breweries.The5tate Government was
country whidl he
represented by Dr. J.K. Kakkar, ,
said was still at an
Director, Health and Family Welfare, , The President
Government of Hi.machal Pradesh,
and Dr. Har Mohindar Singh, Senior
Medical Officer, ESIC, Parwanoo ..
Presiding over the programme,
Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma unacceptable level
-------
eventhoughithad
come down considerably.
Inaugurating the Eighth Asian
Shri R.K. Saboo said that rapid Congress of Pediatrics L'1 New DeLhi,
population growth was neutralising on February 6,1994, Dr. Sharma said
all the gains that Indian polity had neo-natal mortality had shown little
achieved since Independence. He sign of decline. Diarrhoea, respiratory
emphasised that the Industry is diseases and vaccine-preventable
getting a great deaLfrom the society, diseases besides lack of maternal
and it is time that this obligation was and new-born. care remained the
repaid. He believed that Industrial I major causes of. mortality in the
managements were in a better Asian countries. Malnutrition
of Reproductive Health in th~' position to create administrative continued to be a serious problem,
. Corporate Sector", at Parwanoo on organisms to translate innovative contributing to 60 per cent of child
February 18, 1994.
ideas on reproductive health into deaths in India.
The Roundtable was attended
by more than thirty participants. 'They
included Shri RK. Saboo, Vice
President PHDCCl and an eminent
industrialist of the region, who was
also past President of the Rotary
International, Shri Ashok Khanna,
Chairman, Himachal Pradesh
Committe of PHDCCl and Shri B.N.
Kataria, President, Parwanoo
Industry Association. Important
companies whose representatives
participated in the Roundtable
action.
Shri Harish Khatma, Executive
Director of the Population
Foundation of India, said that the
industry and the experts have to think
and act in an organised way to evolve
a strategy to provide good health and
familywelfare services to the workers.
He felt that corporate sector ought to
be more responsive in this regard.
Executive Director of the PHD
A country where a quarter of
the 12 million girls born every year
died before their 15th birthday c~ot
be complacent, he said. A nation
which had almost 30 million street
children living below the poverty
line, and working 12 hours a day,
could hot cease even for a moment in
looking for solutions. Dr. Sharma
said poverty, illiteracy and parental
neglect were a threat as serious as
any which mankind had faced.
In a comprehensive 220-page governmental organisations. "It is a
document, the Ministry of Environment document which reviews the past and
and Forests has detailed the direction of . plans for the future ... and this itself will
policy in key areas related to major be reviewed in the light of future events",
environmental concerns. With the release he said, adding that an effort has been
of this Environmental Action Programme, made to spell out ways in which economic
India has become one of the 10 countries policies can be married to the concept of
world-wide to come out with a plan to sustainable development.
deal with crucial environmental concerns.
It has spelt out 'strategies and
Mr. Kamal Nath, Minister of State priorities in dealing with soil erosion,
for Environmental and Forests, while control of industrial pollution through
releasing the action programme, said the waste management
and clean
document has come after intensive technologies, ,energy efficiency and
cons~ltation~ and dj~c~ssions not only aiternative enersy sources, afforestation,
with other ministries but also with experts conservation of special eco-systems,
in several national institutes and non- urban development and the air pollution
problem, water conservation and water
management: and so on. The Ministry
hopes that it would inspire all sectors of
the economy to respond to the
environmental challenge ahead and make
the necessary directional changes for a
better environment.
One of the factors kept in mind is
the need for people's participation in
various programmes. The effort has
been to integrate the development
issues with those that concern
environment. Mr. Kamal Nath said that
he hoped these issues would be
addressed during the 'course 01 the
Eighth Five Year Plan.
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1Vlarginal ecline in
opulation Growth ate
AD.08 per cent fall in the growth
rate for the first time since 1921-193t
the approval of ·$85 million (Rs. 302
crores) WorId Bank aid for leprosy
eradication and steps towards
ensuring high standards of medical
ed ucation were some of the highlights
in the sphere of health and family
welfare during 1993.
According to the heal th ministry
the family welfare programme picked
up momentum last year.
The total number of family
planning acceptors during April-
October, 1993 was higher by 16.6 per
cent compared to the corresponding
period last year.
The population growth rate has
comedownt02.14percentin 1981-91
as against the figure of 2.22 per cent in
1971-81, according to the report.
A new action-plan was initiated
to give freshimperus to family welfare
programmes, under which districts
with a birth rate of 39.2 and above
have been identified for special
qttention,83 such districts are located
Parwanoo Roundtable ....cont. from page 5
Family Welfare Foundation, Dr. B.
Sarkar called upon the small sector
to contribute for the welfare of its
work force.
Earlier, welcoming the
participants, Mr. Ashok Khanna
lamented that help from the small
units was not forthcoming in this
direction mainly due to lack of
infrastructure facilities with them.
The State Government and
ESICoffered tojoinhand to support
the Industry's efforts to provide
the young workers suitable
counselling to voluntarily adopt
reproductive discipline including
spacing methods which were more
suitable for the younger men and
women. The ESIC and the district
heal th authorities assured that they
would provide the required
services. PHDC will mobilise
industry in neighbouring estates
like Batti, Nahan, Barotiwala so as
to start a movement. .
-
in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan
and Uttar Pradesh.
The health ministry also issued
directives to the stategovemments to
initiate micro-level planning in 90
districts for differential planning on·
allocating resources and inputs ror
strengthening the infrastructure and
services.
The WorId Bank has also made
available amounts from Rs.320 crore
earmarked under its social safety
programme for the eighth plan period
towards upgrading primary health
centres in these districts.
Under the child survival and
safe motherhood programme, the
government has covered 154 districts
during this period. The programme
aims at improving the health status of
women and children and reducing
maternal, infant and child morbidity
and mortality rates.
It will cost Rs. 1,125.58 crore
over a seven-year period and is
supported by the World Bank and
UNICEF.
The National
Leprosy
Eradication Programme (NLEP)
made an appreciable impact last year.
The rate ofdisd1arge of cured patients
was more than twice the number of
leprosy cases.
Out of 201 endemic districts in
the country, 135 had been brought
under multi-drug therapy.
The government has also
decided to increase assistance to the
voluntary agencies working' in this
field by 35 per cent. The WorId Bank
has, this year, approved $85 million
aid for the programme.
For ensuring high quality of
medical education, a significant
amendment was brought about this
year in the Medical Council of India
Act, making it mandatory to obtain
prior government approval before
setting up new medical and dental
colleges or before starting new
medical or dental courses.
In the year 1994, a WorId Bank
aid of $117 million is expected to be
made available for.blindness control
programme.
Child Labour
Highest in India
India has the highest
percentage of child labour in the
wond. The 1981 Census Report
showed that 13.6 million children
were employed but the National
Sample Survey of 1983 put the
figure at 17;1', million. As against
these officialfigures, independent
research organisations like
Operations Research Group,
Baroda and the Balai Data Bank
at Manila claim that the number of
working children was 44 million
and 100 million respectively.
Though poverty is definitely
the major cau;>e of child Ia.bour,
other developing countries like
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
and Afghanistan with a similar
socio-economic background, do
not have such a large percentage
of child workers.
In India too, the extended
.school system in high literacy
States like Kerala, has helped to
control if not eradicate the extent
of ~hild labour. The child work
participation rate in Kerala was
1.9 per cent as against the all-
India figure of 7.1 per cent in
1981. Many developed and
developing countrfes such as the
erstwhile Soviet Union and China
made education compulsory and
achieved commendable literacy
rates over a few decades.
But in Inaia, neither the
States nor the parents seem to be
committed to children's education.
Part of the reason for this is that
education does not proVide the
skillsor assurance for employment
and a betterfuture. The employer's
preference of child workers as
they .constitute a cheap,
productive and obedient labour
force without the demands of
unions, is also another reason for
persistence of child labour.
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Cairo Conference on Population and Developraent 1994
Draft Programme of Action Envisages a Major Shift of Emphasis
The Draft Programme of action
of the International Conference on
Population and Development 1994to
be held in Cairo from September 5 to
13, stresses tl1eneed for a major shift
of emphasis in population control
measures from bringing about a
reduction in numbers or lowering
rates of fertility, to providing easy
access to large masses of couples in
the reproductive age group to the
various family planning services so
that a couple could choose from the
large number of contraceptive
methods available. Nearly 120million
couples who need services, do not
have access to these.
Addressing members of the
media, ICPD Executive Coordinator
Iyoti -Shankar Singh said that the
outcome of three years of preparatory
meetings of expert groups, round
tables and at regional and sub-
regional levels worldwide, besides
two Preparatory Committee meetings
held in 1991 and 1993 in New York
would be discussed at the final
Preparation Committee III to be held
in New York from April 4 to 22. The
draft was also discussed at the UN
General Assembly meeting, he added.
He said the draft takes up a span
of 20 years 1995-2015as it was felt a
longer period may' help most
countries to fulfil the targets.
The draft emphasises on over-
arching broad view of population
(<I I
~
control and says population policies
would have to be closely related to a
country's development as well as
environmental policies and resources.
Itsays that NGOs must playa
greater role in population control.
Education, particularly of girls,
may be one of the ways to curb
population. It also stresses the need
for reducing infan t mortality,
mortality among under-five-year-
aIds, and maternal mortality. Nearly
half a million women die of
pregnancy - related causes, particu-
larly in sub-Saharan Africa and the
Indian sub-continent.
Stressing the need for widening
~e access of family planning services
It has <pointed out that about 360
million couples hav~ access to these
but 120 million do not.
The draft also wants to work ou t
a broader definition offamily planning
by calling it reproductive health care
and providing a package which gives
a lot more tha~ just family planning
facilities.
It is felt that more people would
take a family planning measure if
they are not coerced into it and if the
facility is not only easily accessible
butprovided along withother services
in a subtle manner.
The draft also talks of the need
for improving the role and status of
women in the fawily set-up as well as
society as a means for population
control.
It talks of internal and external
migration of population, fair and
equitable treatment of migrants,
refugees and asylum seekers.
Some of the population-related
problems of developed na tions, which
were also becoming the problems of
some developing countries, like
ageing and decreasingrate of fertility,
would also be taken up.
The lat~st. population
projections to the year 2050 warn
that increased life expect~cy in
developing countries will lead to a
rapidly ageing population.
"This will pose severe'
problems for whiCh. your social
system at present is unprepared",
says Professor Wolfgang Lutz,
leader, Population Project at the
Austri~-based International IrlStitute
for Applied Systems Analysis. An
interesting proposition for scientists
as well as politicians now is to have
robust state policies that will'hold
under the varying conditions that
can only be averted by a big bang
when. half the populatipn, more
children than adults, is .killed by
war, starvation or disease.
The actual world population
in the 21st century will also depend
on the future paths of fertility,
mortality and migration. The
purpose of defining the- disaster
scenario is mostly to point out the
urgent need for poli tical action now .
At the starting point of the
study in 1990, the planet
accoll1modated roughly 5. billion
people, 78 per cent of them living in
less developed countries.' Under
most seeD-arias over the next 50
years, the world population is
expected to increase to at least 8
billion and become 35 billion if no
ceiling forces it down by 2100. The
reason for the galloping figures is
the high fertility and low mortality
assumption.
The developing countries
especially confront a fundamental
dilenU11aoffuturepopul~tion trends
where the population explodes in
size and in age to an lUlprecedented
extent.
The Government of India has launched a three-pronged action plan to
eradicate child labour. In the first phase, the manufacturing, construction and
service industries, which employ about 15 per cent of children, will be targeted for
total elimination ot child labour.
.
The Labour Minister, Mr. P.A. Sangma, announced this while inaugurating the
National Consultation on Child l.,abour. He said in the first phase, states which
employ less than 20,000 children will be covered. In other states, districts employing
less than 25,000 children will be covered.
The states employing less than 20,000 children are Himachal Pradesh, Goa,
Pondicherry and the north-eastern states. Nine districts have been identified in other
states, where child labour is concentrated and where vigorous initiatives are being
taken to eliminate it through massive literacy and income generation programmes,
Mr. Sangma said.
He said the programme tor protection ot 85 per cent ot ,children employed in
agriculture had been worked out. He also said the Minimum Wages Act was being
amended to ensure equal wages for child labour and other 'Norkers.
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JRD Tata commemorative issue of the 'Focus' (September-December, 1993) has received heart-warming response
from all quarters. We in the Population Foundation of India feel honoured in the reflected glory of our much cherished
and late lament~d founder Chairman. Some excerpts from letters received from eminent personalities:
DR. NORMAN E. BORLAUG, Nobel Laureate and Father at
the Green Revolution world-wide:
"I want to thank you for sending me the December issue
of "Focus on Population Environment Development", wherein
the announcement of the demise of J R D Tata is published ..
The publication is an excellent condensation of Mr Tata's
worldwide contribution to the economic development of
emerging nations. It is also an excellent description of his many
humanitarian outstanding characteristics and his concern for
mankind in the broadest sense. It also emphasizes the
importance that he gave to family planning and population
MR C R IRANi, Editor-in-Chief,the Statesmen, Calcutta :
Thank you for your letter of 6th January enclosing the
issue of FOCUS dedicated to the memory of
Mr J R D Tata.
If I may say so this issue of FOCUSis one of the better
tributesoffered to the memory of JRD.I am almost tempted to
say that what Shakespeare said of Brutus was even more
appropriate to JRD.
I wish you well in the work of Family Planning
Foundation,so dear·toJRDand so vitalfor our country's future.
control, through which slowing of population growth
enhances the possibility of improving the standard of living
of the masses of the people through the improvement from
science and technology and its application. His was a life
of vision, of action and of contribution to the well-being of
mankind in the broadest sense .... I hold very dearly that
one day of my life*, the only day that I had chance to know'
Mr. :rata personally, as one of my fondest memories.
MR RUSSI MODI, Chairman, Mobar, Calcutta:
It was indeed kind of you to have sent me a copy of the
"Focus", highlighting the contribution of Mr J R 0 Tata to the
Gause of family planning.
Knowing him as I did for over 50 years, I found it very
absorbing reading.
~
,
MR. KESHUB MAHINDRA, Chairman, Mahindra & Mahindra
*March 11, 1990. On that day Dr. Borlaug delivered' before an Ltd., Bombay:
eminent gathering at New Delhi his scintillating lecture on "Population :
Many thanks for your letter of 11th January together with
A Challenge to Contemporary Development Strategies" thus initiating the . the commemorative issue of your quarterly which has been
Family Planning Foundation's (now Population Foundation of India) dedicated to the memory of Mr J R D Tata.1 want to thank you
lecture series under the rubric "Encounter with Population Cris;s'~ In the for taking the trouble to send it to me. I must !Say it is extremely
morning of that day the two giants· Dr. Borlaug and Mr. J R 0 Tata - well brought out.
interacted with each in a point-counter-point situation on a host of ~
problems concerning India and the world. A video tape of this lively
discussion was later telecast by Doordarshan.
MR. VINEET VIRMANI, President, PHD Chamber
DR S SAMI AHMAD, ResearchOfficer,Institute of Social
Sciences,New Delhi:
Thank you for the latest issue of the 'Focus' and a copy
of Dr. Abid Hussain's lecture. Both the publications are
extremelyinformative.Particularlythehomages and tributes
cited in the 'Pocus' f9r late JRD are very touchfng and
conform with his stature.
. ..
~~.'--'....
""""';10 ~ ..~.
,,~ ~
_
>..'io1
_.,~......
~~.~
of Commerce and Industry, New Delhi:
Thanks for your letter dated January 11, 1994
alongwith a copy of the cornmeorative issue of your
quarterly bulletin 'Focus' which has been dedicated
to Shri J R D Tata. The bulletin is indeed a befitting
tribute.
~~DEHLEEZ" gets- extension on A.f.R.
uDEHLEEZ" (Threshold) a radio soap opera being
broadcast from 30 stations of All India Radio on the
Yuvavani channel, has been given an extension of
another 26 episodes, owing to its growing popularity.
uDehleez" will now go on till the end of October 1994.
In addition to the main serial, a parallel support
programme utilising listeners' letters and incorporating
expert advice, is also being broadcast fortnightly on
Yuvavani, on a separate time chw1k. Over 10,000
listeners had earlier solicited enrolment as regular
listeners and an additional 2000 letters have been
received by AIR, in which listeners on their own have
expressed their views and offered suggestions about
uDehleez" or requested for more info.r:mationon matters
relating to sex, sexual relations, family life problems,
STDs and AIDS.
uDehleez" which is an offshoot of the landmark
study "PopulationSocialisation among Indian Teenagers",
cond ucted by the Population Fonndation of India, concerns
itself with the sex-related and other problems that perturb
the minds ofadolescents by providing correct and scientific
information on these issues.
Published by the POPULATION FOUNDATION OF INDIA, 8-28, Qutab Institutional Area, Ne,,:,"Delhi·110016, Tel.: 6867080, 6867081.
Designed and Printed by Reproductions India, F-39 East of Kailash, New Delhi-110065. Tel.: 6426514, 6422289, 6415600.
Editorial Direction & Guidance: Harish Khanna
Editorial Consultant: J.L. Saaz