India has the oldest family planning programme in the world, formulated in 1951. In 1966, a department of family planning within the health ministry was set up. As a result, the family planning programme was discontinued, even though efforts were made to reintroduce it in 1977, whenthe department of family planning was renamed the department of family welfare. Female sterilisations have become the mainstay of the family planning programme, accounting for almost 96% of all sterilisation procedures. Family planning saves lives.