1st Edition

India’s Family Planning Programme Policies, practices and challenges

By Leela Visaria, Rajani R. Ved Copyright 2016
    204 Pages 18 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge India

    204 Pages 18 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge India

    204 Pages 18 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge India

    This book closely examines the changes, challenges and shifts in India’s family planning programme since its inception in 1952. It discusses the dynamics of population growth, the demographic dividend, family planning and its impact on maternal and child health, and the pressures from various quarters to remove method-specific contraceptive targets from the programme. The volume highlights the shortcomings in the delivery of services by the public sector and the critical role of non-government organisations in research, promotion and advocacy.

    Rich in empirical data, this book will be an indispensable resource for scholars, policymakers, organisations and NGOs concerned with population and demographic studies. It will also interest those in sociology, public policy and public health.

    List of Figures. List of Tables. List of Abbreviations. Acknowledgement. Preface 1. India’s Shifting Goalposts, Population Policies, Prescriptions and Acceptance of inevitable Reality 2. History of India’s Family Planning Programme from Inception to National Emergency 3. The Tumultuous Period of 1975-1981 and After 4. ICPD Conference and the Paradigm Shift 5. Organization of Family Planning Services 6. Role of the non-governmental sector in family planning 7. Contraceptive use, Dynamics and Unmet Need for Family Planning 8. Proximate Determinants of Fertility 9. Demographic, Socio-cultural and Economic Determinants of Contraceptive Use and Fertility 10. Contraceptive Technology Choices in India’s Family Planning Programme 11. Pathways to Population Stabilization 12. Opportunities and Challenges before India in 21st Century 13. The way forward Epilogue. References.

    Biography

    Leela Visaria is Honorary Professor and former Director, Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad, India. She has a Ph.D. in Sociology from Princeton University. Her research is in historical demography, health, family planning, education and demographic transition. She has authored several peer-reviewed articles and has co-authored and/or edited six books including Twenty-first Century India: Population, Economy, Human Development and the Environment (2004) and Abortion in India: Ground Realities (2007). She was the first President-elect of the Asian Population Association (2009–10).

    Rajani R. Ved is currently Advisor, National Health Systems Resource Center, New Delhi, India. She has a medical degree from Madras Medical College and a Master’s degree in Public Health from Harvard University. Her work focuses on primary health care and women and children’s health. Her research experience and writing deal with implementation issues within health systems.

    ‘This is an authoritative and much-needed study of India’s family planning programme . . . [It] provides us both with important insights regarding . . . past performance and crucial recommendations as to how future family planning activities in the country should proceed.’

    Tim Dyson, Professor of Population Studies, London School of Economics

    ‘The book provides an authentic account and insight into India’s family planning programme from inception till today and what lies ahead in terms of demographic challenges and opportunities.’

    M. S. Swaminathan, UNESCO Chair in Ecotechnology and Founder Chairman and Chief Mentor, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai.