Population associated issues in India

Population associated issues in India

"Real problem is not population explosion, but what the population is doing"

• Debate with respect to Population Growth
• Liability and Asset
• Demography
• Concept
• Types
• Demographic Dividend
• Factors affecting population change
• Fertility
• Mortality
• Migration
• Vulnerable Sections (discussed in Social Justice Section)
• Child
• Old age
• Person with Disability (PwD)
• Transgender
• Population policy in India

Population - The total number of people living in a particular area (village, city, town or country) is known as its population.

Population Growth - Population growth is referred as the increase in the number of people (Population) over a period of time.

Debate wrt Population Growth

1.   Population as Liability 

• It puts pressure on limited resources.
• It is responsible for various socio-economic challenges such as increase in crime rate, communalism, security challenges, overall growth, deviance, regionalism, etc.

If we consider population as the liability, it will result into increase in poverty. But if we make population as human capital, it will contribute to economic growth.

2.   Population as Asset 

Population → Human Capital (by ensuring economic capital, cultural capital, social capital, etc) → It will promote overall growth of the country.

Economic capital includes job opportunity, equal wages, decent working conditions, etc.

Cultural capital includes better education and skill development

Social capital includes trust, networking, connectivity, etc.

Demography 

• It is made up of two words, Demo (which means people/population) and Graphy (which means characteristics). Thus, demography is the characteristics of the population.
• In other word demography can also be defined as 'It is the study of trends and processes associated with the population'.
• For example - Birth rate, Death rate, Migration, Composition, etc.

Types of Demography 

1. Formal Demography - It refers to statistical data with respect to components of population change.
2. Social demography - It refers to wider enquiry of data, i.e., social cause and consequence of the population change.

Demographic Dividend 

Demographic dividend refers to the growth in an economy that is the result of a change in the age structure of the country's population.

Economic growth potential is created due to 'bulge' or expansion in working age population (15 years to 59 years) (i.e., the return of human capital).

But this potential depends on the quality of work force (i.e., educated, skilled, better job opportunity, etc)

Working age population 

More dependent person vis-à-vis dependent (i.e., more income and less expenditure) → More Saving → Capital formation

Also more saving → More money for disposal → increase in domestic demand

Question for practice 

Demographic dividend if not nurtured properly will turn into a demographic disaster. Discuss.

• Increase in working labour force (if not educated/skilled) → becomes a liability rather than an asset.
• Youths have lots of energy → if not channelised in right direction → it will backfire and may result in radicalisation, crime, suicide, etc.

Way forward -

1. Better education (relevant, technical, vocational, industry specific education).
2. Skill development and regular upgradation of skill development as technology is changing at a faster pace.

Otherwise, in the world where technology is replacing the labour and if the labour is not skilled enough then the same labour will act as a liability rather than asset. So, regular upgradation of skills is the need of the hour.

Indicators of population change 

1. Fertility - It is the capability to produce offsprings through reproduction.
2. Mortality - It is defined as the number of deaths over a period of time at a particular place. (MMR - 113, SDG gola - 70 or less).
3. Migration - The movement of people from one place to another in search of better job opportunity, facility, life style, etc (with or without intention of permanent settlement).

Fertility 

• Total fertility rate (in 2018) - 2.22
• Total fertility rate (in 2019) - 2.20
• Total fertility rate (in 2020) - 2.18
• Total fertility rate (in 2021) - 2.17

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) - It is defined as the number of children that would be born to each women over her lifetime.

• Replacement level (in 2018) - 2.1
• Replacement level (in 2019) - 2.1
• Replacement level (in 2020) - 2.1
• Replacement level (in 2021) - 2.0

Replacement level fertility - It is also known as Replacement TFR. It is an indicator where as population exactly replaces itself from one generation to another without migration.

To know more about Replacement level fertility (refer Drishti IAS Replacement Level Fertility Article) -- Click here to proceed 

Now, if TFT<RL → Population starts to decline

Challenges associated with this - Regional variation

• For example -Some states like Bihar, UP, MB, etc where TFR > RL, the population increases rapidly putting pressure on the limited resources of the state/nation.

Thus the population needs to be controlled in order to reap the benefits of developmental process. In this regard UP enacted 'UP Population Policy'.

Causes of high fertility -

1. Poverty (perceived more children → more hands for earning)
2. Illiteracy/lack of awareness with respect to benefits of small family.
3. Lack of awareness with respect to reproductive health rights.
4. Patriarchy 
• Low status of women
• Early marriage
• Sole purpose of marriage is progeny
• Son meta preference
5. Son-meta preference (keep giving birth until and unless the desired number of boys are born).
6. Joint family (where children are taken care of)
• Nuclear Family prefer Small Family as taking care of more children is not easy.
7. Lack of 4A's with respect to family planning.
• Availability
• Accessibility
• Awareness
• Affordability
8. Religious ideologies - There are certain religious ideologies which are against the family planning.
9. Heterosexual marriages

Implications of high fertility rate 

Stakeholders of the implications -

1. Women and Child
2. Family
3. Nation
4. Status of nation at global level

Women - 

• Negatively impacted the physical health of the women.
• May increase the maternity mortality rate.
• Economic productivity of women is impacted (as majority of her time, she is engaged in rearing and caring of her child).
• Low status in society.
• Self-alienation.

Child -

• Lack of availability of resources.
• Malnutrition
• Attention deficit
• Increase incidences of deviant behaviours.
• Child labour
• Most disadvantageous out of all children is girl child.
• High infant mortality rate (28.77 in 2021)

Family - 

• High fertility rate → high proportion of dependent population → negatively impacted the standard of living of the family.

Nation - 

• Increase in burden on existing resources → discrepancy in demand and supply → various socio-economic problems arises in India.
• Hampers the prospects (fails to reap the benefits) of demographic dividend.

Global level - 

• SDG Goal - reduce the Infant Mortality Rate to a single digit. (India fails to achieve it).
• Poor performance with respect to various social and economic indicators.
• Threatens the prospects of India to emerge as a global power.

Thus, the High Fertility Rate threatens the prospects of India to emerge as a global leader as it fairs poorly with respect to various social and economic indicators.

According to UN's World Population Prospects 2022, India is projected to surpass China as the most populous country in 2023 (earlier it was projected in 2027 as per 2019 report).

Government efforts -

1. Population policies
2. Contraceptive measures
3. JSY (Janani Suraksha Yojana) - जननी सुरक्षा योजना 
4. JSSK (Janini Shishu Suraksha Karyakram) - जननी शिशु सुरक्षा कार्यक्रम 
5. PMSMA (Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan) - प्रधान मंत्री सुरक्षित मातृत्व अभियान 

Way forward -

1. We need to do away with one size fill all approach.
2. Piece meal engineering approach (identifying the target group and made policies accordingly) is the need of the hour.
3. Made population study as an integral part of the educational curriculum.
4. Sex education needs to be made mandatory at school level.
5. Create awareness with respect to reproductive health (to both men and women).
6. Idea of Male Aasha Worker (as India is a patriarchal society and according to M.S. Swaminathan the entire onus of family planning can't be on women only).
7. Improve the status of women.
8. 4A's with respect to family planning methods.
9. Increase in marriage age.
10. Destigmatisation of the use of contraceptives.
11. Strict ban on child labour.
12. Use of IEC (information technology, education and communication campaign) to create awareness about negatives of high fertility rate.
13. Charismatic personalities can lend their voices to the cause of high fertility rate.
14. Role models → to ensure walking the talk.
15. Create incentive for the girl child.
16. Desirability of girl child has to be created in the society.

Mortality 

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is the most important indicator of the socio-economic status of any nation because more than any other age group survival of infants depends on their socio-economic environment.

Cause of high IMR in India 

1. Household income is the major determinant as access to health care, sanitation, nutrition, immunisation, etc all depends up on the economic profile of the family.
2. Early marriage, compulsory child bearing. lack of girl education, lack of institutional deliveries, lack of scientific temper (superstitious practices), etc. are responsible for High Infant Mortality Rate.
3. Female infanticide, undesirability of girl child is also responsible for this.

Lancet Study 

• Global population is expected to peak at 9.73 Billion in 2064.
• Then, decline to 8.79 Billion by 2100.
• Global Total Fertility Rate - 1.66 by 2100 (from 2.37 in 2017)
• Countries which will have highest projected population in 2100 are - India, China, Nigeria, USA and Pakistan.

With respect to India -

• India's population will peak by 2048 (1.61 Billion).
• Total Fertility Rate will decline and reach 1.29 by 2100.
• Largest working age population (20-64 years) by 2100.
• Second largest immigration in 2100 after USA.
• Female education and access to contraception are the reasons for the decline in fertility.

Implications of decline in fertility rate 

Positive implication for -

• Environment
• Climate change
• Food production
• Resource available

Negative implication for -

• Labour force
• Economic growth
• Social support system

Migration - to be discussed separately in next Article Click here to read

Key features of Demographic changes 

1. Working age population will peak in 2041 (59%).
2. Total Fertility Rate will reduce below Replacement level by 2021.
3. Larger share of elderly population (8.6% in 2011 to 20% in 2050).
4. Working age population will start to decline in 11 out of 28 major states during 2031-2041.
5. However, it will continue to rise in some states like UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, etc.
6. Young population will decline from 41% in 2011 to 25% in 2041.

Suggestions/Way forward -

1. Harness the demographic dividend.
2. Ensure gender parity.
3. Strengthen social infrastructure for elderly.
4. Handle inter-state, rural-urban migration.
5. Consolidation of elementary education, etc.

Previous Article - Secularism 

Next Article - Migration

Notes on other subjects 

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Optional Subject 

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Note - This is my Vision IAS Notes (Vision IAS Class Notes) and Ashutosh Pandey Sir's Public Administration Class notes. I've also added some of the information on my own. 

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