"India: male sterilisation order withdrawn after flurry of criticism", 22 February 2020

An instruction to male health workers in Madhya Pradesh to convince at least one man to opt for sterilisation or face losing their jobs has been withdrawn after a flurry of criticism.

The order issued on 11 February said health workers had until the end of the current financial year to notch up one sterilisation.

...But the Congress party, which is in power in Madhya Pradesh, was forced to rescind the order after rival Bharatiya Janata party leaders criticised it. “It is unacceptable for employees to be harassed in such a way. It is very objectionable,” said Rajneesh Agarwal, a BJP spokesman.

...The result of this studied avoidance across the board is that family planning in India is neglected and overwhelmingly a woman’s responsibility. Female sterilisation accounts for more than 70% of overall modern contraceptive use...

Chaitali Verma, a women’s rights activist who works in Delhi slums, said... We all agree that Indian men need to start pulling their weight and taking responsibility for contraception but coercion isn’t the solution. It’s a sensitive problem and requires a sensitive approach,” she said.