Top Court issues notice in plea seeking direction to UOI to control population explosion

The Supreme Court today issued notice in a plea seeking directions to the Union of India to frame effective rules, regulations and guidelines to control population explosion in spirit of the 24th recommendation of the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (Justice Venkatchaliah Commission).

A division bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Vikram Nath issued notice in the plea which also seeks a direction to the Centre to ascertain the feasibility of making the Two Child Law a criterion for government jobs, aids and subsidies, right to vote, right to contest, right to property, right to free shelter etc.

The petitioner Firoz Bakht Ahmed has further sought a direction to the Government to declare the First Sunday of every month as 'Health Day' in place of 'Polio Day' to spread awareness on population explosion and provide contraceptive pills, condoms, vaccines etc. to EWS and BPL families, with polio vaccines.

Furthermore, the petitioner has sought direction to the Law Commission of India to prepare a comprehensive Report on Population Explosion within three months and suggest ways to control it.

The plea filed through AOR Ashutosh Dubey submits that the increasing human population is putting large amounts of pressure on our natural resources and is contributing to climate change, leading many people to call for increased population control-especially for poorer communities.

Overpopulation is the "elephant in the room" and the direct cause of deepening poverty and environmental degradation, the plea states.

It adds that population explosion is the root cause of theft, dacoity and snatching, domestic violence, physical and mental harassment of women and separatism, fanaticism, stone pelting etc.

"From a survey, conducted on thieves, dacoits, snatchers, rapists and mercenaries, it is apparent that about 90% criminals and offenders are such that their parents have not followed policy of "Ham Do - Hamare Do"...", the plea reads.

Referring to Violence against Women, the petition submits that the same is increasing and the root cause is population explosion as after the birth of a girl, a woman is subjected to physical and mental harassment and some men even abandon their first wife if 3-4 daughters are born and perform second marriage to fulfil their desire to have a son.

"Save Girl Campaign may be successful, but torture after marriage, cannot be stopped in absence of a strict and effective population control law. After birth of 3-4 daughters, physical and mental torture are hurled on the woman, though the girl child depends on male instead of female. Several people prefer polygamy in the desire of son. Therefore, India urgently needs an effective population control law to stop discrimination between boys and girls, provide them equal rights and equal opportunity", the petition states.

Last month, in a similar plea the Supreme Court issued notice. That plea sought direction to the Central Government to ascertain the feasibility of enacting a stringent population control law.

Case Title: Firoz Bakht Ahmed vs. Union of India and Ors.