Essays

India is the seventh largest country in the world. It covers an area of around 33 lakh sq km. India has only 2.5 per cent of world's land, yet it has to support 16 per cent of the world's population.

Its population is growing at an alarming rate. According to the 1991 census, India's population was 84.39 crore as compared to 68.51 crore in 1981. Now the population has crossed the 100 crore mark.

It has been predicted that India will overtake China and become the most populous nation in the world by 2020 AD. China has reduced its population growth by enforcing the one-child norm; while India's voluntary family programme is based on the two-child norm.

India became independent of British rule in August 1947. And since 1951, the country has had many Five- Year Plans. The country is self-sufficient in food grain. Now, India is one of the ten industrially advanced countries in the world. In 1993-1994, the per capita income was Rs 2,282. In spite of progress, about one-third of the population lives below the poverty line. Whatever progress is there since independence under the Five-Year Plans has been neutralised by unchecked growth in population.

The population explosion in India is due to a number of factors. About 75 per cent of our population lives in rural areas. Around 48 per cent of our population is illiterate. Rural folk are ignorant and superstitious. They believe that their present social and economic condition is owing to fate and they cannot change it. They also believe children are god's blessings, and once they come to existence, god will take care of everything. In any case villagers welcome children as hands to help them in agriculture.

In rural areas, villagers have hardly any source of entertainment. So there is more procreation. Some communities are opposed to the concept of family planning. Indians have a strong wish to have a male child. At times, couples beget daughter after daughter in the hope of getting a son. Child marriages also result in large sized families. The Indian government has already banned child marriage and has raised the marriage age of girls to 18, and of boys to 21.

Modern Indian families are coming to realize that small families are happy families—fewer children are well taken care of. It is remarkable that India is adding every year a population equal to that of Australia. High growth in population becomes a problem and retards economic progress.

Currently, the government's family planning programme is based on persuasive rather than on coercive methods. Marriageable age limit could further be raised. Incentives and disincentives should be in operation. Family welfare should form part of the academic curriculum.

Success of the family planning programme is a must. Growth of population has to be checked and kept at reasonable limits. This is the only way to ensure removal of poverty, and improving the standard of living of the Indian people.

'Think!'

1. Russia, the largest country by the land area is far behind us in respect of population.

2. USA has far more land area than that of us, yet tess population.

3. Same is the case with Canada and Australia.

They all have grown well, why couldn't we?