Paper short abstract:

Advocating for a transnational policy shift away from neo-Malthusian strategies, urging India to critically reassess its gendered construction of citizenship in order to facilitate citizen's right to sexual and reproductive health.

Paper long abstract:

This paper critically examines India's Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) evolution, exploring the interplay of its colonial past and global population politics. From the National Programme for Family Planning in 1952 to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the study adopts a dual framework, contextualizing India's SRHR within colonial and transnational contexts.

The postcolonial lens reveals gendered citizenship dynamics impacting marital relations and nationalist shifts. Analyzing the 19th-century 'Age of Consent' debate and post-independence Family Planning, the paper highlights evolving dynamics influenced by eugenics, neo-Malthusian ideals, and the global women's movement. Examining the institutionalization of Family Planning by the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) and post-World War II transnational networks exposes the impact of global politics, aid, and population control on India's FP policies.

The paper underscores the consequences of numerical targets, financial incentives, and the 1960s population crisis, leading to the targeting of marginalized women and perpetuation of neo-Malthusian ideas. Tracing ICPD, MDGs, and SDGs, it challenges the ICPD-centric perspective, revealing shifts in FP objectives and nuanced influences. Evaluating India's current SRHR landscape with NFHS data, the study advocates for a transnational policy shift away from neo-Malthusian strategies, urging India to critically reassess its gendered construction of citizenship for a holistic realization of sexual and reproductive health rights.