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In order to put a tab on the burgeoning population of the country, the government is actively considering making two-child norm as a policy, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, C P Thakur, said on Monday.
"Realising the urgent need to stabilise population we are actively considering making two-child norm as a policy," Thakur said, inaugurating a national seminar on Reproductive and Child Health -- Key to Population Stabilisation in New Delhi.
Thakur revealed that the government was also introducing a Bill in this session of the Parliament to amend the PNDT Act (Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act) to include provisions on chromosome slicing and other latest techniques of sex determination.
He said that only a few days back the government had taken a decision to amend the MTP Act (Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act) to check illegal abortions, an area of great concern.
It is imperative to take measures by which the large gap between districts in availability and access to health services can be reduced.
"We have to keep in mind the fact that over 45 per cent of the country's population lives in states/districts where performance (of health services) is sub-optimal," he said.
Effective delivery of reproductive and child health care holds the key to rapid population stabilisation, which would help the country to substantially improve the quality of life of the citizens and pave the way to rapid human development, Thakur added.
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