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News18
3 days ago
- General
- News18
How Family Aspirations Changed In India Over Decades? UN Report Tells Stories Of 3 Generations
Last Updated: Across India, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has plummeted from about 6 in 1960 to 2 today, as per the UNFPA report. India is moving from large, necessity-driven households to smaller, aspiration-led ones. The recent UNFPA's State of World Population 2025 report features a compelling story of three generations from a single family in Bihar, showcasing this journey of change and its broader implications Saraswati Devi, now 64, was married at just 16 in 1976. By age 30, she had five sons, reflecting a time when the average woman in India had six children, fewer than a quarter used contraception, and under half completed primary school. There was virtually no personal choice — childbearing was determined by tradition, utility, and family or community expectations. Schooling increased gradually and by the 1980s and '90s, more girls were finishing primary education and had slightly better access to contraception. But families still aimed for multiple children. Anita Devi, Saraswati's daughter-in-law, married at 18 in the late 1990s. She ended up having six children; four daughters and two sons. 'I initially wanted only one or two children, just one girl and one boy. We are poor, and raising a large family is difficult… But talking about family planning was not easy in my family, and my husband was against contraception," Anita was quoted as saying in the UNFPA report. But fertility rates began to decline, reflecting slow uptake of family planning and shifting norms. The UNFPA reports states that today, nearly 70 per cent of women use contraception, over 90 per cent complete secondary school, and the average fertility is around two children, down from six. A Story Echoed Across India – and the World This generational narrative is not isolated. Across India, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has plummeted from about 6 in 1960 to 2 today. The report links this shift to: A dramatic rise in female education (from less than 50 per cent primary completion in the 1960s to more than 90 per cent today) Contraceptive use climbing to nearly 70 per cent Women increasingly making independent decisions about their bodies and futures But the story isn't purely celebratory. The UNFPA warns it reflects a 'fertility aspirations crisis": one in three adult Indians (36 per cent) experience unintended pregnancies, and 30 per cent report having fewer — or more — children than they desired, with 23 per cent experiencing both. Why These Changes Matter India's TFR has fallen to 1.9–2.0, now below replacement level (2.1), placing it in the demographic trajectory of ageing nations. Replacement level is the average number of children a woman needs to have in order for a population to exactly replace itself from one generation to the next, without migration. The globally accepted replacement level is 2.1 children per woman. While nearly 68 per cent of the population is currently of working age — a potential economic boon — the window to harness this before an older population overtakes is closing. Reproductive autonomy vs structural support: Despite gains in choice, persistent economic burdens, gender inequality, and inadequate childcare or parental leave systems mean many cannot achieve their ideal family size — even if they want to, says the report. Turning Aspirations into Reality: A Policy Imperative UNFPA asserts that the focus must shift from controlling fertility to unlocking reproductive agency, where individuals can freely and confidently decide if, when, and how many children to have. For India, this translates into scaling up affordable childcare and parental leave, promoting gender-equitable domestic norms, ensuring accessible reproductive healthcare and family planning and supporting economic security through jobs and housing. India's journey from 'as many as possible" to 'as few as desired" mirrors broader global demographic shifts. The tale of three generations — from Saraswati's five to Pooja's deliberate two — captures how deeply family aspirations have evolved. But tellingly, many still cannot align their reproductive lives with their desires. As UNFPA concludes, the real challenge of fertility lies not in how few children are born, but in whether people have the freedom and support to reach their desired family size. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 11, 2025, 14:14 IST News india How Family Aspirations Changed In India Over Decades? UN Report Tells Stories Of 3 Generations
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
2L compensation for woman who delivered baby after sterilization op
Prayagraj: Taking serious note of failed sterilisation that led to childbirth, permanent Lok Adalat, Prayagraj on Wednesday directed state government to provide compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the applicant Anita Devi to help her maintain the unwanted child. The court also directed the state to provide Rs 5,000 per month to meet the girl child's expenses on school fee, food and upbringing till she completes her graduation or attains age of 18 years, whichever earlier. The permanent Lok Adalat chairman Viqar Ahmed Ansari, members Richa Pathak and Satyendra Mishra also directed to pay compensation of Rs 20,000 for failure of sterilisation and for mental and physical agony, which the applicant had to undergo all these years. The application was filed by Anita Devi complaining against chief medical officer Allahabad for medical negligence in sterilization operation. The complainant, a poor woman, who already had several children, opted for sterilisation and her operation was conducted by doctor Neelima on Oct 25, 2013. The doctor had assured her she would not beget any child in future. On developing some complications she got an ultrasound done on Jan 31, 2014 and in the report, it came to light that she was 16 weeks pregnant and she later delivered a baby girl. As such, she filed the present claim petition against the CMO, Allahabad claiming Rs 5 lakh for bringing up the child, Rs 25,000 per month till the birth of the child as well as Rs 20,000 for suffering mental and physical agony. The Permanent Lok Adalat observed, "We are of the view that in a country where population is increasing every second, govt had taken up family planning as an important programme and implemented various devices including sterilization operation. The doctor as also the state must be held responsible in damages of the sterilisation operation."
