Private Member Bill On Population Control Falsely Shared As Government Bill

A private member Bill proposing an amendment to the Indian Constitution that would incentivize having smaller families and disincentivize families with more than two children, is viral on social media with false claims that it was introduced by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government.

The Bill proposes to insert an article under article 47 of the Constitution that reads, ''47A. The State shall promote small family norms by offering incentives in taxes, employment, education etc. to its people who keep their family limited to two children and shall withdraw every concession from and deprive such incentives to those not adhering to small family norm, to keep the growing population under control.''

The viral WhatsApp message includes a screenshot of the proposed Bill reads, "Constitution amendment bill introduced in rajyasabha, All the benefits / subsidies shall be withdrawn for the family having more than Two Children...."

BOOM received the screenshot on its WhatsApp helpline number (7700906111) inquiring about the Bill. The screenshot is viral as the Bill proposes to limit subsidies for a family of more than two children

A Twitter user shared the same viral message thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for introducing the Bill in Rajya Sabha.

Click here to view, and here for an archive.

Viral on Facebook

We searched on Facebook with the same caption and found that the image was viral with the same caption.

This is viral in the backdrop of speculation that the a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill could of be introduced by the government in the upper house on February 11, 2020, which did not happen.

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FACT-CHECK

BOOM found that the Bill being cited in the viral screenshot was introduced as a private member Bill by Anil Desai, a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, belonging to the Shiv Sena.

We checked the Rajya Sabha's official website and found that the Bill was introduced on February 7, 2020, and was not brought in by the government as being claimed in viral posts. 

Click here to view.

The Rajya Sabha website showed that it was the third Bill to be introduced in the ongoing session of parliament. We also found that the viral screenshot matches the Bill that was introduced by Desai, however the Bill was not discussed in the upper house on February 11, 2020.

The distinction between private member Bills and government Bills is important as the Bills introduced as government Bills can be discussed on any day, whereas a private member's Bills can be introduced and discussed only on Fridays.

Additionally, a private member's Bill that is introduced but not discussed in the Rajya Sabha, lapses when the Member retires. 

Click here to read the Bill

BOOM contacted PRS Legislative Research, an independent research non-profit body, on the essential difference between the two types of Bills. PRS said in an email that, "Private member Bills are Bills that can be introduced in Parliament by members who are not ministers. Private member Bills are used by Members of Parliament to highlight gaps in the government Bills and to draw attention to matters of national concern."

"For example, in 2015, Rajya Sabha passed the Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014, a private member's Bill piloted by MP Tiruchi Siva. In this case, the government then introduced its own version of the Bill and requested the MP to withdraw," further said PRS Legislative Research.

However in this case the Bill was introduced by an opposition member of parliament and Bills introduced by private members have a slim chance of getting passed. According to data by PRS, only 14 Private Member's Bills have been passed by both the houses of parliament since 1952, and the last Bill to have been passed by both the houses was in 1970.