No Government Jobs For Those With More Than Two Children Under Assam’s New Population Policy

The Assam Government, in its population policy draft released on Sunday, declared that people marrying before attaining the legal age for matrimony and couples having more than two children will not be eligible for the state governments jobs.

"Anyone having more than 2 children, marrying before attaining legal age won't be eligible for Assam govt. jobs under new population policy," said state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while unveiling details of the policy's draft.

The draft policy also seeks to increase the punishment for child marriages from imprisonment for two years to four years in jail. Public feedback will be sought before the draft is adopted as a resolution in the state assembly and made into laws.

The main aim to implement this policy is the development of the people below poverty line, decrease in percentage of child death, maternal deaths etc.

The country has a two-child norm, which is rarely followed strictly. Child marriage is banned in India and violation of the legal age — 21 for men, and 18 for women — attracts punishment whenever such incidents are caught.

The policy, which is part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's vision document for the state, is being viewed as the party’s attempt to control family sizes of Bengali-speaking Muslim immigrants.

As per the 2011 census, the state, which has a population of more than 31 million, saw Muslim population increasing from 30.9 per cent in 2001 to 34.2 per cent.

With inputs from ANI