Do you think that India too should adopt the one-child policy similar to China? Will it work in controlling the population growth in India?

Hai Friends,

The topic of GD is most recent and that to be discussed in deep.Let me to share my views.

The one child policy is not admissible in my sense.First of all look to the current family and the family just one generation ahead.The so called nuclear family was a result of our continuous campaign against population explosion.Surely the rate of population came to control but we still increased.

What was the consequence in family life?Only two children.They went for their jobs or with their family.They have no time to look after their aged parents.So parents were put in old age homes or charity homes.Now the parents are crying not having some children to look them in their old age.

This was not the case of one generation ahead.There were a lot of members in the family.Some one will have time to look their parents and till their death they would have the shadow of any one of their children.

So if India is going to the one child policy, the social conditions will become more terrible.

Hello all,

Why there is no response from any one ?

Also I oppose the decision of one child because the loss of that one and only one child will psychologically demolish his/her parents if it happens.Also for all thing these parents would have to depend this one and only one child if he cares them.This will be a burden to all.

We have to look more from national perspective than personal. Large family is an old tradition. This was okay when population was low. The overall land area continues to be same, rather reduced after partition. Increasing population needs more land space for food growth, housing, education institutes, hospitals, rails and roads, vehicles, factories and so on. But there is no way to get more land. The land crisis has been acutely felt in places like Singur in West Bengal. In Uttar Pradesh, there is tension among peasants regarding take over of land for road construction.

We need not only to check population but to reduce it. Adopting one child norm at least for next fifty years is strongly felt. The current policy of 'we two our two' only maintains population at current level. We need policy of 'we two our one' for reducing population and bringing this to manageable level consistent with our land availability. The density of population in terms of people per Sq. Kilo Meter needs be fixed and ultimately attained. This is necessary to avoid facing the crisis that Malthus had predicted long ago.

Wow, what a topic to discuss. Kudos to Kalyani for coming up with this topic. You persuaded me to participate (a rare thing)

Personally speaking India should adopt the one child policy. I say this because our population is growing at an alarming rate and it has made the problems of food, clothing, shelter, education and jobs worse. The vicious circle of poverty is increasing with the increasing population.

It is high time that we do something and everything we can about it. Though one child policy would only be one step towards it but I guess every step would help. Also, awareness should be created among people about the dangers of over-population and how the consequences of it would be faced by their child in the end when he/she will get no proper food clothing and shelter. The quality of everything will be degraded.

And as far as Abid's point is concerned, I agree to his comment to an extent and he is right that it will have an impact on our social setting. But I have a solution for it too.

The government should implement one child policy and if anyone desiring to have more than one child, they can do so by adoption. This way not only would we be making a life on one homeless child but also the social setting will remain the same. And technically. there won't be any increase in population as around 10% of Indian parents abandon their child right after birth, so currently there are around 12 crore children waiting for a new home.

India is now second to China in population and if it grows at such an alarming rate then there will be hardly any space left for us in the future in terms of economy, food and shelter, growth and development. According to a recent survey it has been found that the Indian population will topple or exceed China's population in the near future. Besides, a vast population means less employment opportunities, more feeding mouths, more corruption and crime and increase in the cost of living. Further a huge population means increase in the cost of living, congestion, living in the slum areas and leaving below the poverty line.

Keeping the above facts in mind I think it is the need of the hour for our Government to make it mandatory for us to follow the one child policy. Let us go on with the motto Prevention is better than cure...

All of China's people need clean water, food, housing, education, job opportunities, health care, goods, and services. Without the "One Child Policy", how would that be possible?

Resources are limited, so population must be limited. Uncontrolled population growth will only result in poverty, misery, and death.

Bangladesh and the Philippinesconditions when population growth is unrestrained. Both of those nations are economic and social disasters because they do not have adequate resources to support their enormous populations. The Philippines has 90 million people jammed into an area the size of Arizona. Bangladesh has 150 million people crushed into a similarly small area.

Climate change and pollution are the result of over-population. War and poverty are the social outcomes of competition for limited resources.

There appears general consensus on one child norm. There appear some issues associated with this concept. In absence of siblings, the child may feel lonely with no one to play with. In unfortunate event of death of a child, parents will be issueless. Traditionally, many consider themselves stronger with large family.

However, one child norm will make the children more social. 'Vasudhev Kutumukum' or 'whole world is a family' is our age old concept. Inabsence of siblings, the children will be more social and play and interact with other children outside the family. This will make them more social and community spirit will develop. Ultimately, one child norm will benefit family and nation.

The one child policy has the following features in china :

* The policy only applies to registered urban families. Rural families and protected minorities (Tibetans, Uyghurs, and others) may have more than 1 child.

* Couples may have 1 child every 10 years. Couples having more than 1 child within a 10 year period are subject to social disincentives.

* Multiple births (twins, triplets, etc) are exempt from the policy.

* Parents whose first child is physically handicapped, mentally handicapped, or dies may have a second child.

* Waivers of the policy are selectively granted for hardship cases, such as adoption of a deceased relative's orphan.

so india should work on it

As suggested by Sumit, India may benefit by the Chinese experience. But if we exempt the villages and certain regions as in China, the one child norm will not succeed in India. Unlike China, we are more affected by local level caste and sectarian politics. Too many exceptions to the norm will enable many groups to seek exemption from the policy on various pretexts. Unlike china, vote bank politics will frustrate the object of family planning. The norm should be strictly followed. An exception could be made in regions that are thinly populated. We have reguions like Ladakh, Arumachal Pradesh, that are thinly populated. An exception may be made there. The norm has to be strictly fiollwed in more densely populated area.

Though I am in favor of one child policy, I dont think we should really look too much in the chinese model. There are a lot of cultural and social difference in both the cultures and government.

The chinese follow a communist form of government and the government decision is binding on all whether they like it or not. People also don't protest much against the decision of the government.

But that is not the case in India, we follow a democratic model and people have the right to say or appeal against anything they don't like. This one child rule is certainly going to irk many and there would be many protest and hunger strikes. So this should be dealt and implemented tactfully in India.

@Gulshan - I would beg to differ on your views. I don't think any state should be given an exception. Many people would be abusing the law then. Like, if a couple wants to have more than 1 baby they will go to arunachal pradesh or any other thinly populated states you mention and give birth to baby there and then come back to their hometown. We should all remember that constitution has given us the right to move or settle or migrate in any part of the country.

One solution to this could be, that government develop those thinly populated areas industrially. This would create more employment opportunities and we would see many people shifting to these thinly populated state permanently.

To implement one child policy, we should not look at any other culture but rather study our own culture thoroughly and come up with ingenious methods to implement it with active participation and co-operation from all the section of the society.

The one child policy accepted and implemented in China has not proven to be a boon for them.The Chinese themselves have been opposing the policy for the fact that there are huge problems created for present and future generations.

Firstly,the fertility rate of women dropped as the policy progressed,other health issues like depression and hormonal problems have come to light as well.

Secondly as correctly mentioned by the Gulshan in the GD that the impact on child psyche is not positive ( for lack of siblings).

Thirdly there is a problem that they face which they call as 4-2-1.Which means that one child when grows has to support two parents and two grandparents making him support four people in return,increasing financial responsibility and burden.

The people feel that population control can be done by alternative means.Not only because of this has infanticide increased,Old home houses,adoption and orphanage houses have found an increase in their services as kids are abandoned because of the law.

In light of a policy that has its futuristic and irreversible ills,our country should not follow the same footsteps.Population can be controlled by increasing literacy,employment options as well as strict law measures for child planning,but just limiting it to one kid per family, not so wise I say.

The views expressed by Arun Jain are very correct. China differs from India in many respects. They can get the decisions implemented easily. In India, we cannot get anything done because of democratic system. Here I may state that China is more democratic. Although there is one party system, the policies are discussed from lover level to top level and ultimately decision is taken centrally duly considering the public opinion. This is called 'democratic centralism'. On the other hand, our people do not participate in discussions at any level and they only give vote once in five years on basis of caste, religion, region, personality cult etc. In China, there is no dynastic rule system unlike India. We have more anarchy than democracy.

I suggested that thinly populated states like Arunachal be given exception. It is not likely that anyone would settle in Arunachal Pradesh only for giving birth to more than one child. The areas like Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh are not such that inhabitants of Delhi or Mumbai may easily live there. Moreover, if you go to such far off place for some time, you will stay in hotels or rest rooms or some accommodation that cannot be considered as your permanent address. I am for exception only in Jammu & Kashmir Ladakh region, Arunachal Pradesh and certain areas of North East and Andaman & Nicobar islands. It is not feasible for those in cozy places like Delhi, Mumbai or even smaller towns to settle at such places even temporarily.

I would also like to point out one more thing,ours is a very different and unique democracy than China's where neither the census has a count of the living or dead nor is there any technology available to do the recording for the same.

To implement such a policy here seems irrational and rather impossible.Moreover as pointed by Arun,we do have various cultural and social differences.Even the resources available are different.Every parameter has to be considered.However I am not in favor of a one-child model.

I believe even though the population problem may be same for the countries, the people we are talking about are different.And aren't we looking into a communist country's policy for a democratic country?

I would also like to point out one more thing,ours is a very different and unique democracy than China's where neither the census has a count of the living or dead nor is there any technology available to do the recording for the same.

To implement such a policy here seems irrational and rather impossible.Moreover as pointed by Arun,we do have various cultural and social differences.Even the resources available are different.Every parameter has to be considered.However I am not in favor of a one-child model.

I believe even though the population problem may be same for the countries, the people we are talking about are different.And aren't we looking into a communist country's policy for a democratic country?

The one child norm has been suggested in view of over population and this has nothing to do with type of government. Communist or capitalist, democratic or fascist, whatever be the system, we have to look at the issue of land and natural resources in relation to number of people. Undoubtedly, land and other resources like mineral products are fixed and cannot sustain increasing population. We need to control population in terms of persons per Sq. KM. One child norm will meet this objective.

[/quote]
The one child norm has been suggested in view of over population and this has nothing to do with type of government. Communist or capitalist, democratic or fascist, whatever be the system, we have to look at the issue of land and natural resources in relation to number of people. Undoubtedly, land and other resources like mineral products are fixed and cannot sustain increasing population. We need to control population in terms of persons per Sq. KM. One child norm will meet this objective.[/quote]

I agree that this model does control population explosion,but it does not guarantee development.And yes I agree we need to look into population density as well when we are discussing topics like this.
The one child norm as you said does have a psychological impact as well.May we would be able to control one problem of population explosion and open a new set of problems for future generations.

It has been suggested that population control may not guarantee development. However this will definitely help development. Development has to be measured in terms of per capita and not absolute figures. If the people are less, same national wealth belongs to fewer people. This is like family income. A small family will be more prosperous than than a large family with same income. If we have lesser population, we shall need less food, clothes, vehicles and other products. Thus development is related to population.

However population policy cannot be a rigid one and not change at any stage. We need one child norm for another twenty years. If our population is trimmed, policy may change. If population becomes too less and less than optimum, people will have to be encouraged for large family.

I think it will help to control Indian Population but to implement it will difficult because all kind of people will not able to accept it.

But it should be implemented it will be good for India

I believe it has always been the way India has implemented the "two child policy".The government has rather been a failure to raise awareness & deal with population growth.

It has never been treated as a crisis & until n unless we do that we wont be successful in doing so.Even Now India adapts to one child policy we wont be successful.After all its all about knowing the greater concern in future & working towards it.

I must also add that Indian government never believes in "Prevention is better than cure".We are always into damage control mode let alone trying to treat this isssue as a crisis we are still ignorant about it.

But definitely this will turn out to be one of the crucial factor in India trying to become a super power by 2020.:pinch: