New Delhi

During the Emergency period from 1975-77, over 1.07 crore people in India were sterilised, far exceeding the government’s target of 67.4 lakh, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. The figures were shared by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, based on the Justice JC Shah Commission report, which investigated excesses and malpractices during the Emergency, including forced family planning measures.

The report recorded 548 cases of sterilisation of unmarried persons and 1,774 deaths linked to sterilisation. In 1975-76, the government aimed for 24,85,000 procedures but completed 26,24,755, surpassing the target. In 1976-77, targets rose to 42,55,500, while 81,32,209 sterilisation procedures were performed, exceeding targets by over 59 per cent.

The Emergency, declared under Article 352 on June 25, 1975, by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, continued until March 21, 1977. The Shah Commission collected evidence through hearings, testimonies, and official records, submitting three reports between 1978 and 1979, documenting the large-scale implementation and consequences of the family planning programme during this period.