National Population Policy 2000
Also called: NPP 2000 · Topic: Population of India: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The National Population Policy 2000 (NPP 2000) is India's plan to slow and then stop population growth. It aimed for replacement-level TFR by 2010. TFR (total fertility rate) is the average number of children a woman has, and 2.1 is the replacement level, where each generation just replaces itself. The policy also aimed for a stable population by 2045. Its tools were free contraception, care for mothers and children, and community action. It matters because it moved the focus from targets to health and choice.
Example
India missed the 2010 target. It reached replacement level only around 2019-21, when NFHS-5 found a TFR of 2.0. Southern states such as Kerala had reached this level long before.
Don't confuse with
- Replacement-level fertility: this is the goal (a TFR of about 2.1). NPP 2000 is the policy meant to reach it.
Related concepts
- Regional variation in population growth
- North-south fertility divide
- Infant mortality rate
- Maternal mortality ratio