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Population: Problem and Policy

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Population: Problem and Policy Dr. M. J. Rahman B.A. - III (HoD), Associate Professor Department of Economics B.N.College, Patna University Paper- V : India’s Economic Development since 1947 Population: Problem and Policy Introduction The growth of population is the greatest threat to the country’s sovereignty. India occupies the second position in the world, next to China in terms of the size of population. The present population of India is approximately 1.37 billion which is equivalent to17.7% of the total world population and its geographical area is only 2.4% of the world’s land area. The rising trend of population in our country is a matter of great concern. The growth of India’s population can be divided into three parts : 1) Stable Population Period (1891-1921) 2) Fast Growth of Population (1921-1951) 3) Population Explosion 1961 to Onwards Causes of Rapid Growth of Population In India, the population has tremendously increased due to a steady decline in death rate while birth rate remained high. Therefore, to understand the true nature of India’s population, we need to study the causes of rapid growth of population: a) Causes of High Birth Rate b) Causes of Low Death Rate Causes of High Birth Rate : 1) Early and Universal Marriage 2) Joint Family System 3) Widespread Poverty 4) Lack of Education 5) Religious and Social Superstitions 6) Pre-dominance of Agriculture 7) Low Standard of Living 8) Decline in Mortality Rate 9) Slow Process of Urbanisation Causes of Low Death Rate : 1) Decline in Epidemics 2) Urbanisation of Population 3) Late Marriages 4) More Medical Facilities 5) Spread of Education 6) Balanced Diet 7) Decline in Social Evils Remedies to Check Growth of Population A higher rate of population growth is not welcome and stern efforts must be accorded to control it. Different measures adopted to solve the problem of population can be classified into broad headings: a) Social Measures b) Economic Measures c) Other Measures Social Measures Population explosion is a much more social problem which is deep-rooted in the social life of the country. Therefore efforts must be made to remove social evils in the country. They are stated as : 1) Spread of Education 2) Raising the Status of Women 3) Minimum Age of Marriages Economic Measures To overcome the problem of population, vigorous efforts must be made on economic front. Some measures are stated below : 1) More Employment Opportunities 2) Expansion of Industrial Sector 3) Equal Distribution of Wealth and Removal of Poverty Other Measures There are other measures to curb the population explosion in the country. Some are enumerated below : 1) Self Control 2) Employment to Women 3) More Means of Recreation 4) Sex Education 5) Propaganda 6) Incentives 7) Late Marriages Population and Economic Development Population is an imperative source of economic development but under some circumstances it becomes a growth retarding factor. It is a very important source of supplying cheap labour which in turn helps in producing commodities at low cost. The large population also encourages division of labour and large scale production. It also boost demand, enlarges the market size and provides much needed inducement to invest and provides sufficient manpower to exploit country’s natural resources. The net effect of population growth on society’s level of output per capita will be positive, neutral or even negative, will thus depend upon the particular pattern of population increase and in context in which it occurs. Thus the pattern of population growth and the environment in which the growth take place are important factor which decides whether population will be a growth promoting or growth retarding factor. Population as an Accelerating Factor Population can accelerate economic growth of an economy in following manners : 1) Population determines Capital Formation 2) Supply of Manpower as an essential factor for Economic Development 3) Population as an Incentive for Development 4) Population leads to Greater Production 5) Population as a Creator of New Knowledge 6) Improvements in Techniques and Productivity Population as a Retarding Factor Population can be a limiting factor to economic development due to following reasons : 1) Population reduces the Rate of Capital Formation 2) Higher Rate of Population requires More Investment 3) It reduces Per Capita Availability of Capital 4) Large Population creates Problem of Unemployment 5) Adverse effect on Per Capita Income 6) Rapid Population Growth creates Food Problem 7) Adverse effect on Environment 8) Declining trend of Agricultural Development National Population Policy 2000 The National Population Policy was announced on February 1st, 2000. It provides a framework for advancing goals and priorities during next decade to meet the reproductive and child health of people. The new policy mentioned the objectives of social and economic development to improve the quality of lives people lead to enhance their well being. The medium term objective was to bring the total fertility rates to replacement level by 2010. The long term objective is to achieve a stable population by 2045. Demographics of India Population Density 382 person per sq.km. (2011 est.) Growth Rate 1.1% (2020) Birth Rate 18.2 births/1000 population (2020) Death Rate 7.3 deaths/1000 population (2020) Life Expectancy 69.7 years (2020) Fertility Rate 2.35 children/woman (2020) Infant Mortality Rate 29.94 deaths /1000 live births (2018) Sex Ratio 924 females/1000 males (2020) Literacy Rate 74.03% (2011) References: 1) Datt,Ruddar and Sundharam, K.P.M.,Indian Economy,Latest Edition, S.Chand,2014. 2) Kapila,Uma.(Ed.), Indian Economy since Independence, Academic Foundation, New Delhi,2003. 3) Lekhi,R.K.& Singh,J. “The Economics of Development And Planning”,Kalyani Publishers.16th Edition.2014. https://en.m.wikipedia.org .
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