Jiyo Parsi Scheme: The Minority Affairs ministry has come up with a plan to increase the country’s Parsi population, which is reportedly declining due to the eligible bachelors’ lack of interest in getting married.
According to statistics, 30% of eligible individuals in the Parsi community are single.
Because of this, the ministry has developed “marriage counselling” for Parsi men and women.
The Parsi community’s total fertility rate is about 0.8 per couple, and on average, 800 people die each year compared to the birth of 200 to 300 children, which is worse than the situation faced by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians, according to Shernaz Cama, Director of Parzor Foundation, one of the organisations responsible for putting this programme into action.
The total fertility rate is 1.94 in the Hindu community, 2.36 in the Muslim community, 1.88 in the Christian community, and 1.61 in the Sikh community, according to the most recent National Health and Family Welfare Survey (NHFWS).
The Parsi community in the country had 57,264 people according to the 2011 census, down from 1,14,000 in 1941.
In order to balance the population of the Parsi community and raise the overall fertility rate, the Ministry of Minority Affairs launched the “Jiyo Parsi scheme” in November 2013. A budget of Rs 4 to 5 crore is allocated for this programme annually.
376 infants have been born since the start of the programme (as of July 15), which is more than the 200 babies born in the Parsi community on average each year, according to Cama, who spoke to PTI.
He claimed that the community’s low birthrate is primarily due to unmarried adults.
“The study discovered that while the Parsi community’s adults are eligible for marriage, 30% of them are still single.
“One child is the average number of children each married person has. A little over 30% of the population is over 65. In the Parsi community, marriage occurs at an average age of 28 for women and 31 for men “explained he.
“Young people, especially women, have a strong sense of independence, which is the main reason they don’t get married. Another reason they are unable to get married is because they are responsible for caring for their ageing relatives.
Under this Jiyo Parsi Scheme the government provides monthly assistance of Rs 4,000 to those earning less than 10 lakh rupees to take care of the old, but it is insufficient given that each young couple is currently responsible for caring for eight elders. Cama, an associate professor at Lady Shri Ram College, also claimed that numerous births occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic in addition to numerous weddings.
“61 children were born in 2020 and 60 children were born in 2021 as a result of the efforts made under the scheme,” he stated.
He explained the initiatives being taken to promote marriage among Parsi young by saying, “In the post-Covid era, we started” In reference to the method used to set up online dating for marriage, Cama stated, “Our counsellors attend local community events and gather information about the likes and dislikes of men and women who are willing to get married, their expectations from their future life partner, as well as some other personal details.” “These individuals are then introduced via online channels. These folks decide whether to be married at their own discretion. We simply give them a venue to select a life companion, “She spoke.
In marriage counselling, in-person meetings are scheduled.
Shernaz stated, “We have had decent-level success in this as well,” adding that individuals who are determined not to get married are counselled to change their thoughts. They claim that many Parsi couples experience infertility issues as a result of getting married later in life. In such cases, they are given annual assistance of up to Rs 8 lakh each for “and other advanced medical services.”
Another significant obstacle to preserving demographic balance in the Parsi community is social conservatism.
For instance, notwithstanding the preferences of the couple, if a Parsi lady marries a man of a different religion, their child will not be included in the society.
“Such orthodoxy is not religious in any way. These are the laws produced by a society that is predominately male. Courts and religious institutions must make decisions in this topic as well “And Cama.
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