- Population Regulation Bill, 2019 has been introduced in the Rajya Sabha. It is a private member bill.
- The bill seeks to enforce a two-child norm by giving incentives for those adopting the small family practice and penalties for those contravening it.
- It has suggested that people with more than two living children should be “disqualified” from being chosen as an MP, MLA or a member of any body of the local self-government after the commencement of the Act.
- It has also suggested that government employees should give an undertaking that she or he will not procreate more than two children.
- Further, it has said that those government employees who have more than two children on or before the commencement of the Act should be exempted.
- Other penalties include reduction in subsidies on loans and interest rates on savings instruments, reduction in benefits under the public distribution system, and higher than normal interest rates for availing loans from banks and financial institutions.
- The bill has also listed out several benefits for Central and public sector enterprise employees who adopt the two-child norm “by undergoing sterilization operation himself or of the spouse”.
- A Member of Parliament (MP) who is not a Minister in the Union Cabinet is called a Private Member. Bills introduced by such members are called Private Member’s Bills (PMB). A PMB can be introduced in either the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.
- Bills introduced by ministers are called Government Bills. Unlike a Government Bill, a PMB is not discussed by the Council of Ministers internally.
