Thread by @vsirnate

Very very interesting thing happened in the Rajya Sabha last week on which I saw zero coverage except on one relatively unknown legal site.

The Constitution Amendment Bill 2020 was introduced on 7th Feb.

http://164.100.47.4/BillsTexts/RSBillTexts/asintroduced/47A-E-7%202%2020.pdf

"Today, there is also a need to encourage the people to keep small family by offering tax concessions, priority in social benefit schemes and school admissions etc.
and at the same time discourage them from producing more children by withdrawing tax concessions, imposing heavy

taxes and by making other punitive provisions for
violations. Therefore, the Bill seeks to amend the Constitution with a view to make a provision by the State to discourage the people from increasing their family and encourage them to keep their family limited to two children.."

So while we all got excited about slogans, they quietly introduced the two-child policy bill.

This happening was pointed out to me by @hmlakdawala. Took me some internet typing to locate the full text of the bill and confirm.

@hmlakdawala

@hmlakdawala We have had an informal two-child policy for donkeys years. but this one is basically saying that people with more than two kids will be punished through taxes concession withdrawals and extra taxation.

Which means the poor who typically have poorer access to birth control, women who often bear the burden of multiple children and raising them are people that the govt thinks should be punished.

bill was brought forward by Anil Desai, Shiv Sena. But this agenda is part of the RSS playbook.

This is the entirety of the discussion that happened in the Rajya Sabha when it was introduced.

Question: how did it slip through the media scanner without notice when this is something that directly affects millions?