In controlling birth rates and population growth, sterilization has long been part of public health policy in India. The policy has had it's criticisms. Recently Rajasthan and to some extent Karnataka have taken it a step further. They are offering cars and other rewards as an incentive for people to get sterilized. Some say this another form of coercion.
The BIMARU states still have very high fertility rates. It will be several decades before they get to a Total Fertility rate(TFR) of 2.1 required for the population to stabilize. For these states, bringing down birth rates is a worthy endeavor. However, providing inducements for people to get sterilized is not a sustainable way to achieve that goal. A sharper focus on improvement of health-care and education coupled with rapid growth in GDP would go a long way. Rising income and educational levels are much more potent in bringing down TFR.
States in the south achieved a TFR of 2.1 or below a few years ago. They still have grinding poverty. Equitable growth which could bring upward mobility to a wider swathe of the people is needed urgently there.
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