Only women's education can curb population growth, says Nitish

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday advocated education for women as the key step to control the country's population growth.

Interacting with media persons here, he said that making a law and its implementation would not become successful unless and until women get educated.

His statement came as a response to ally BJP's call for a law for population control.

"Our government did a deep study on population control of the country in 2012-13. At that time, the population growth rate was 4.3. We have worked hard in the implementation of policies, publicised it, and created awareness among people of the state. Due to our efforts, the population growth rate has reduced to 3 now," he said.

"During the study, if we counted a husband and wife with education above Class 10, the population growth rate was 2 in the country. When it came to Bihar, the population growth rate was also 2. When it comes to women who are educated above Class 12, the population growth rate was slightly lesser compared to the rest of the country. That result was extremely pleasing for us.

"The focus on the study of girls at that time is yielding results now. The birth rate reached 3 and if we continue the same for next 5 to 7 years, the birth rate will reach 2 per family. But if we make a law, it would not yield results," Nitish Kumar maintained.

"We have an example of China which had introduced a law for one child. That decision did not turn out positive... then it withdrew the decision and allowed two children. I went to China to experience it personally... I went to crowded places in the evening every day to understand what common people of China thought about that decision of one child. My interpreter told me that the majority of families were against the decision of the Chinese government. Only law cannot give the positive result that you want. Work can be done in such a manner that people endorse it as a habit," he added.