New Delhi: Making it clear that "two child norm" cannot be imposed as it would be a "violation of Fundamental Rights", the Government today (Oct 12, 2004) said population stabilisation programme will be pursued wholly on voluntary basis.

"Two-child norm cannot be imposed as it would be a violation of Fundamental Rights of the people. Population stabilisation programme will be pursued wholly on voluntary basis," Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said inaugurating the 'First All India Workshop of Health Secretaries' in New Delhi today (Oct 12, 2004).

He said goals to this effect "will be achieved without coercive measures being incorporated into National Population Policy".

Seeking to clarify that the Government's programme is "population stabilisation" and not "population control", he asked the health machinery to devise new measures to involve men in the family welfare programme.

Ramadoss asked Health Secretaries of all the States to furnish reports as to how the family welfare programmes are being taken up. The feedback would be used to improve health care services especially in the rural areas, he said.

So far, women have been forced by their families to go for family planning measures, while men on rare occasions have come forward, he said.

"It is shameful to note that out of 48 lakh sterilisation carried out in a year only 1.1 lakh are through vasectomy and the rest are tubectomies," he said.