Gangtok: An expert group meeting on ‘Identifying Research Priority and Roadmap for Understanding the Declining Fertility Rates in Sikkim’ was held in Gangtok on Monday.
“Sikkim’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is 1.1% as per the National Health Family Survey while the State’s own survey records it at 0.8%, which way below the national average,” Sikkim Chief Secretary VB Pathak said following the daylong deliberations.
The population replacement rate in Sikkim is undergoing a critical phase. “If this decline continues, the indigenous population of Sikkim will go extinct in some decades.”
The chief secretary added that the Sikkim government has recognised this serious issue and initiated various schemes to boost TFR through incentives and increments.
The government is, however, yet to ascertain the specific evidenced-based reasons for the declining fertility rate in Sikkim, which is the next task to be tackled by the government.
“Data would be collected by the officials of Health department at the ground level and evidence-based study would be carried out extensively to identify the real reasons on declining TFR in Sikkim,” the CS said.
“By holding the experts meet today, we plan to identify, research and prepare a roadmap for understanding the declining TFR with evidence. Once the reports of the study are submitted, we will prepare a plan for the future action to improve the TFR in Sikkim,” said the chief secretary.
The meeting of the expert group was organised by Sikkim INSPIRES under Planning and Development department, and Health and Family Welfare department.
Planning & Development additional secretary Rohini Pradhan, also the Sikkim INSPIRES mission director, said that the mission was also a proposed programme to be funded by the World Bank.
Sikkim INSPIRES stands for Integrated Service Provisions and Innovation for Reviving Economies- for providing a better economic inclusion platform for women and youth in Sikkim in non-farm sectors.
Pradhan informed that programmes of nine departments are included in the mission – five are priority departments and four are supporting departments. The areas being covered under the Health department in Inspires program are mental health, and reproductive and child health.
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As per a notification, an inter-departmental working group on Total Fertility Rate has been constituted and led by the Planning and Development department.
“We aim to have a comprehensive study on the reasons for the declining TFR by the expert groups from the institutes. A compiled report would be submitted to the State government with recommendations, suggestions and references that can be implemented to restore the TFR. We are hoping that the study would take five to six months’ time to complete,” said Pradhan.
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