India's Family Planning Programme: Policies, practices and challenges

This book closely examines the changes, challenges and shifts in India’s family planning programme since its inception in 1952. It discusses the dynamics of population growth, the demographic dividend, family planning and its impact on maternal and child health, and the pressures from various quarters to remove method-specific contraceptive targets from the programme. The volume highlights the shortcomings in the delivery of services by the public sector and the critical role of non-government organisations in research, promotion and advocacy.

Rich in empirical data, this book will be an indispensable resource for scholars, policymakers, organisations and NGOs concerned with population and demographic studies. It will also interest those in sociology, public policy and public health.

Leela Visaria is Honorary Professor and former Director, Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad, India. She has a Ph.D. in Sociology from Princeton University. Her research is in historical demography, health, family planning, education and demographic transition. She has authored several peer-reviewed articles and has co-authored and/or edited six books including Twenty-first Century India: Population, Economy, Human Development and the Environment (2004) and Abortion in India: Ground Realities (2007). She was the first President-elect of the Asian Population Association (2009–10).

Rajani R. Ved is currently Advisor, National Health Systems Resource Center, New Delhi, India. She has a medical degree from Madras Medical College and a Master’s degree in Public Health from Harvard University. Her work focuses on primary health care and women and children’s health. Her research experience and writing deal with implementation issues within health systems.