India's Population Policies: Untouched by the Cairo rhetoric

Abstract

Mohan Rao traces the history of the last five years of India's population momentum in relation to state and central policies. He argues that despite the Cairo rhetoric taken up in New Delhi this does not find reflection in policies in the states, and indeed in many other policies emanating from the centre. Looking at the laws and practices and the struggles of women's health groups in Indian states, he suggests that doomsday demographic discourses continue to dictate reproductive health policy based on the assumption that social and economic problems stem primarily from population growth.