Lok Sabha Question No. 4156 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: Data on Sterilization
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Konda Vishweshwar Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4156

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19 TH  AUGUST, 2025/ SRAVANA 28, 1947 (SAKA)

DATA ON STERILIZATION

4156.     SHRI KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  maintains  records  of  the  number  of sterilizations both forcible and voluntary conducted across the country during the National Emergency period from 1975 to 1977;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State and year-wise;
- (c)  whether  any  distinction  is  made  in  Government  records  between voluntary and coercive sterilizations during that period;
- (d) whether any official inquiries or reports were commissioned post-Emergency to assess the human rights violations or irregularities in sterilization drives; and
- (e)  if  so,  the  details  and  findings  of  such  reports  and  whether  any compensation  or  redressal  mechanisms  were  instituted  for  affected persons?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI NITYANAND RAI)

(a) to (e):  The Government had set up a Commission of Enquiry under the Chairmanship  of  Justice  J.  C  Shah  (retired  Chief  Justice  of  Hon'ble

Supreme Court of India) on 28.05.1977 to inquire into, inter-alia, excesses,

malpractices and misdeeds during the Emergency including use of force in the implementation of the family planning programme.

As  per  the  Report,  the  then  Government  had  set  targets  for sterilization in the years 1975-76 and 1976-77 for States/Union Territories under Family Planning programme. Details on the targets given and the number of sterilizations undertaken in the States/ Union Territories in the two years is at Annexure. Further, a total of 548 complaints of sterilization of unmarried persons and 1774 cases of death linked to sterilization during the Emergency period were also reported to the Shah Commission. The Shah Commission Report was tabled in Parliament on 31.08.1978.

*******

## ANNEXURE L.S.US.Q.NO. 4156 FOR 19.08.2025

## NUMBER OF STERILIZATION AS FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMME CONDUCTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY DURING EMERGENCY:

| Name of State/UT          | 1975-76                           | 1975-76     | 1976-77                           | 1976-77                  |
|---------------------------|-----------------------------------|-------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------------|
| Name of State/UT          | Target set by Government of India | Achievement | Target set by Government of India | Achievement              |
| Andhra Pradesh            | 2,94,200                          | 1,65,163    | 4,00,000                          | 7,41,713                 |
| Assam                     | 67,300                            | 1,47,545    | 1,70,000                          | 2,26,205                 |
| Bihar                     | 2,02,500                          | 1,65,531    | 3,00,000                          | 6,80,000                 |
| Gujarat                   | 1,82,400                          | 1,53,000    | 2,00,000                          | 3,17,000                 |
| Haryana                   | 74,300                            | 57,942      | 52,000                            | 2,22,000                 |
| Himachal Pradesh          | 18,600                            | 16,830      | 31,500                            | 1,00,740                 |
| Jammu & Kashmir           | 7,000                             | 9,502       | 31,000                            | 15,794                   |
| Karnataka                 | 1,39,000                          | 1,20,671    | 2,44,500                          | 4,88,861 (upto 28.02.77) |
| Kerala                    | 1,48,400                          | 1,56,622    | 2,22,500                          | 2,06,600                 |
| Madhya Pradesh            | 1,63,800                          | 1,12,000    | 2,67,500                          | 10,01,000                |
| Maharashtra               | 3,18,300                          | 6,11,000    | 5,62,000                          | 8,33,000                 |
| Manipur                   | 1,600                             | 847         | 4,500                             | 6,286                    |
| Meghalaya                 | 1,500                             | 2,100       | 3,500                             | 7,513                    |
| Nagaland                  | -                                 | -           | -                                 | 355                      |
| Orissa                    | 1,09,200                          | 1,25,040    | 1,95,500                          | 3,22,984                 |
| Punjab                    | 43,100                            | 53,083      | 46,500                            | 1,39,905                 |
| Rajasthan                 | 1,06,100                          | 86,000      | 1,75,000                          | 3,64,760                 |
| Sikkim                    | -                                 | -           | -                                 | 262                      |
| Tamil Nadu                | 2,11,300                          | 2,70,691    | 5,00,000                          | 5,69,756                 |
| Tripura                   | 3,400                             | 4,140       | 9,000                             | 12,600                   |
| Uttar Pradesh             | 1,75,000                          | 1,28,000    | 4,00,000                          | 8,37,000                 |
| West Bengal               | 1,96,100                          | 2,06,421    | 3,92,500                          | 8,80,000                 |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 200                               | 242         | 500                               | 1,376                    |
| Arunachal Pradesh         | 100                               | 22          | 600                               | 268                      |
| Chandigarh                | 1,300                             | 1,163       | 2,000                             | 2,590                    |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli      | 350                               | 241         | 600                               | 695                      |
| Delhi                     | 11,200                            | 22,510      | 29,000                            | 1,38,517                 |
| Goa, Daman & Diu          | 4,400                             | 2,800       | 8,000                             | 5,571                    |
| Lakshadweep               | 50                                | 56          | 200                               | 149                      |
| Mizoram                   | 900                               | 905         | 1,800                             | 679                      |
| Pondicherry               | 3,400                             | 4,688       | 5,300                             | 8,030                    |
| Total                     | 24,85,000                         | 26,24,755   | 42,55,500                         | 81,32,209                |

(SOURCE: J C SHAH COMMISSION REPORT)