POPULATION PROGRAM IN 9TH PLAN

The Approach Paper to the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997-2002) has identif ied the three factors that contribute to population growth as: the lar ge population in the reproductive age. higher fertility due to unmet n eed for family planning and high wanted fertility, due to high infant mortality rare. How much do these factors contribute to population gro wth? Although the paper recognises the need for promotion of male part icipation irt family planning, no strategy is spelled out. Other issue s like the need to promote spacing methods. incentives and disincentiv es, family planning targets. demographic goals, etc, are nor even ment ioned in the Approach Paper. The preferred strategy to bring down the birth rate to be adopted is far from clear.