Family planning insurance scheme was launched in India. India was the first country to implement a national family planning programme in 1952. The fertility control programme was prioritised to reduce birth rates to levels compatible with socioeconomic development and environmental protection. To address birth control, the Government of India implemented the “National Family Planning Insurance Scheme” in 2005, renamed the “Family Planning Indemnity Scheme” on April 1, 2013.

This topic of ‘Family Planning Insurance Scheme’ is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination, which falls under General Studies Paper 2 (Mains) and General Studies Paper 1 (Preliminary) and particularly in the society and social issues section of UPSC IAS EXAM. In this article, we shall discuss the ‘Family Planning Insurance Scheme’ and learn about Its Objectives, Salient Features, benefits, Current status & More.

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Latest News Around Family Planning Insurance Scheme

In May 2022, Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya released the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) report and Rural Health Statistics Publication for 2020-2021.

On July 27, 2022, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare chaired the National Family Planning Summit 2022.

Key Facts of the NHFS-5 Report

• In recent years, India has made significant progress in population control measures.
• The Total Fertility Rate (TFR), the average number of children per woman, decreased from 2.2 to 2.0 at the national level between NFHS-4 and 5.
• Only 5 Indian states have fertility rates higher than the replacement level of 2.1.

• The overall contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) in the country has risen significantly from 54% to 67%.

What is Family Planning Insurance Scheme?

• Over the years, the Family Planning Insurance Scheme (FPIS) in India has undergone policy and programmatic changes.
• The scheme's focus has expanded beyond population stabilization and achieving Total Fertility Rate (TFR) goals to promote reproductive health and reduce maternal, infant, and child mortality rates.
• Introduced on November 29, 2005, with Oriental Insurance Company, the FPIS covers cases of sterilization failure, medical complications, and death resulting from sterilization procedures. It also provides indemnity cover to the Doctor/Health Facility performing the procedure.
• Sterilization is primarily provided as part of family planning services in both public and private sector facilities, with many states still relying on camps for sterilization services.
• The National Rural Health Mission sets a policy framework to address reproductive and child health needs and aims to achieve a replacement TFR of 2.1 by 2017 as part of the 12th five-year plan target.
• As of April 1, 2013, the program operates under the "Family Planning Indemnity Scheme."
• The FPIS scheme is uniformly applicable across all states and territories in India.

Objectives of the Family Planning Insurance Scheme

The Objectives of the Family Planning Insurance Scheme are as follows:

• Encourage people to use permanent family planning methods.
• The FPIS aims to protect all sterilisation recipients and doctors performing sterilisation procedures in accredited private and public health facilities and in non-profit organisations (NGOs).
• FPIS provides a framework for compensating recipients and service providers for death, failure, or complications caused by sterilisation failures.
• FPIS is also required to provide medical care, medical facilities, and wage loss for the day the individual is sterilised.
• It will be the responsibility of the District Official designated by the State Government for the scheme to ensure that eligible claims are filed and processed on time.

Permanent Male and Female Sterilization

• Here are some facts about permanent male and female sterilization:
• Permanent sterilization is a method of birth control that is meant to be irreversible.
• Sterilization procedures are generally considered safe with minimal complications.
• Sterilization is highly effective in preventing pregnancy.
• Vasectomy is the procedure used for male sterilization.
• Female sterilization, also known as tubal sterilization, refers to sterilization procedures for women.
• There are two methods of female sterilization:
• Minilaparotomy: This method blocks the woman's eggs from reaching the fallopian tubes, where fertilization occurs.
• Laparoscopy: This method either obstructs or removes the fallopian tubes, preventing future pregnancies.

Salient Features of Family Planning Insurance Scheme

Here are some key features of the Family Planning Insurance Scheme (FPIS) or National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme:

• The Family Planning Insurance Scheme covers all Indian citizens and states/Union Territories.
• Patients can undergo sterilization surgery at accredited facilities, whether public, private, or NGO.
• Quality Assurance Committees are established at the state and district levels to ensure adherence to sterilization guidelines.
• The National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme administration is carried out by state governments and district health societies, replacing the existing private sector insurance company.
• Claims for sterilization operations detected and reported after April 1, 2013, fall under the State Program Implementation Plans (PIPs).
• Beneficiaries must file claims with the District Quality Assurance Committee (DQAC) within 90 days of failure, complication, or death to be eligible under the "Family Planning Indemnity Scheme."
• Section II mandates that doctors or health facilities forward any claims, writs, or summonses related to failure, death, or complications to the District or State.

Benefits of the Family Planning Indemnity Scheme

The Family Planning Indemnity Scheme offers the following benefits:

Other Family Planning Initiatives in India

Initiatives under the Family Planning Programme of India are listed below:

• Compensation scheme for sterilization acceptors: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare compensates beneficiaries for wage loss due to sterilisation under this scheme.
• Mission Parivar Vikas: Mission Parivar Vikas aims to significantly increase access to contraception and family planning services in seven high-focus states with TFRs of 3 and above.
• New Contraceptive Choices: The current selection of contraceptives has been widened to incorporate new ones, including injectable contraceptives, Centchroman, and progesterone-only pills (POP).
• Redesigned Contraceptive Packaging: The packaging for condoms, OCPs, and ECPs has been updated and improved to increase demand for these commodities.
• Increasing male participation and promoting non-Scalpell Vasectomy.

Contraceptive Services under Family Planning Insurance Scheme

The Family Planning Insurance Scheme in India plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable development goals by addressing the issues of unwanted pregnancies and promoting better planning and decision-making regarding pregnancies.

• Oral- Contraceptive Pills
• Condoms
• Intra-Uterine Contraceptive Devices

Current status of Family Planning Insurance Scheme

The most recent data from NFHS-5 (2019–21) shows that in India, 38% of women were using contraceptives, up two percentage points since NFHS-4 (2015–16).

According to the National Health Mission, India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has steadily declined to the current level of 2.0 (SRS 2020):

Wayforward

The following are the way forward for reducing births in India under the Family Planning Programme:

• Promote high-level political will and advocacy, particularly in states with high fertility rates.
• Increased male involvement in family planning.
• Promote a campaign to increase male participation in non-scalpel vasectomy.
• Taking action on critical indicators like child marriage and early pregnancy.
• Encourage favourable policy frameworks in order to meet the high unmet need for contraception.
• Identifying family planning as a matter of human rights.
• Increased government investment in family planning.
• Promote activities that encourage family planning by displaying posters, billboards, and other audio and video materials on television and social media platforms.

Family Planning Insurance Scheme UPSC Facts and Figures

Here are some UPSC Exam facts and figures about Family Planning Insurance Scheme (FPIS):

Download the PDF on Family Planning Insurance Scheme notes for UPSC Exam here.

Conclusion

The Family Planning Programme in India is free and voluntary, and clients are free to choose the best family planning method for them based on their reproductive rights. Researchers, policymakers, service providers, and users must all work together to ensure equitable access to quality family planning services in India.