In an attempt to reduce the rising population growth rate in the country, the Indian government has launched a pilot program which will award cash benefits to those couples who delay their childbirth till at least two years after marriage.
With a number of girls, especially in rural areas, being married in their teenage years, India continues to boast of one of the fastest population growth rate even as a number of education programs have been launched to improve the knowledge of family planning.
The latest program, launched in August 2009, is clearly aimed at those couples who give birth to their child within a year of getting married with the government offering Rs 5,000 to couples who wait at least two years after their marriage to give birth to their first child.
Says Dr. Archana Khade, a physician at the primary health care center in the village of Kahner, "The response has been good. But the money is a secondary thing. It's about the other things, for better future prospects."