Mizoram minister announces cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for having maximum number of children
Aizawl, Jun 21: A Mizoram minister has announced a cash incentive of Rs 1 lakh to a living parent with the highest number of children in his constituency to encourage population growth among the demographically small Mizo communities.
Sports Minister Robert Romawia Royte did not mention the minimum number of children.
The declaration came at a time when several Indian states are advocating a population control policy.
On the occasion of Father's Day on Sunday, Royte announced that he would reward a living man or woman having the largest number of offspring within his Aizawl East-2 assembly constituency with a cash incentive of Rs 1 lakh.
The person will also get a certificate and a trophy, the minister said in a statement on Monday.
Apparently, the cost of the incentive will be borne by a construction consultancy firm owned by Royte's son.
The minister said that the infertility rate and the decreasing growth rate of the Mizo population has become a serious concern.
"Mizoram is far below the optimum number of people to attain development in various fields because of the gradual decline in its population. Low population is a serious issue and hurdle for small communities or tribes like Mizos to survive and progress," Royte said.
Mizoram is home to various Mizo tribes.
He said that some churches and influential civil society organisations like the Young Mizo Association are advocating a baby boom policy to encourage population growth for ensuring optimum size vis-a-vis the area of the state.
Mizoram's population was 1,091,014, according to the 2011 census. The state covers an area of approximately 21,087 square kilometres.
With only 52 persons per square kilometre, Mizoram has the second lowest population density in the country next to Arunachal Pradesh, which has a population density of 17 persons per sq km. The national average is 382 per sq km.
Mizoram's neighbour Assam, however, is treading a different path.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently announced that his government will gradually implement a two- child policy for availing benefits under certain schemes funded by the state.
In 2019, the state administration decided that those with more than two children would not be eligible for government jobs from January 2021.
Assam currently has a two-child norm along with other requirements for contesting in panchayat polls.
On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Law Commission Chairman Aditya Nath Mittal said that there should be a check on the increasing population as it is creating problems in the state.
However, the Population Foundation of India (PFI), an NGO, has said that India should learn from China's revision of its two-child policy claiming the move shows that empowering women and enhancing their capabilities work better than coercive population policies.
In December last year, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare told the Supreme Court that the family welfare programme in India is voluntary in nature.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Nitish Kumar's son Nishant among 32 to take oath as Bihar ministers
Patna (PTI): In a major expansion of the Cabinet of Bihar's first BJP-led government, JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar and 31 others took oath as ministers on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Altogether 32 leaders, drawn from all constituents of the five-party NDA in the state, were administered the oath of office by Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain at a grand ceremony that was also attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Health Minister J P Nadda and BJP president Nitin Nabin.
Prominent inductees included Nishant Kumar, the son of JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, who stepped down as chief minister last month to enter the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP, which is the single largest party in the 243-member assembly with 89 MLAs, has 15 ministers, who took oath on Thursday.
Most of the inductees were those who were part of the Nitish Kumar cabinet formed in November last year after the NDA stormed back to power in the assembly polls.
The JD(U) is represented by a total of 15 ministers, 13 of whom took the oath at the Gandhi Maidan on Thursday. Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav had taken oath in April along with Samrat Choudhary and were designated as deputy chief ministers.
Sanjay Kumar Singh and Sanjay Kumar Paswan, both from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan, are back as ministers, and so are Santosh Kumar Suman and Deepak Prakash, sons of Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, respectively.
