The hukou policy

The critical problem discussed in this article is the high rates of abortion in India. Medical termination of pregnancy is one of the most discordant and poignant concerns faced by Indian policymakers in recent times, a fact which is highly disturbing yet barely unanticipated, particularly if viewed against India’s cultural background which tilts largely in favor of a male child. Policymakers must, therefore, strive to implement stringent measures to make such clinical facilities effective, safe, affordable and easily accessible to the citizens. Appropriate steps must be taken to ensure availability of health insurance covers, expand the accessibility and availability of contraceptives, develop and implement policies to cover women from economically poor backgrounds, safeguard the feasibility of the national family planning health center system, and take measures specifically directed at poor women and teenagers, where the incidences of unwanted pregnancies and lack of availability of medical facilities are the highest.