INDIA'S population is growing fast, posing a threat to the country's sustained development. But there is a lack of political will to tackle it, writes MAHENDRA VED.
Two families in the housing complex where I live have roughly the same income.
While the wife in one family underwent a vasectomy after giving birth to two children, that of the other didn't and has eight. The contrast in their well-being in terms of money, health and children's education is apparent.
India's population grew from 345 million in 1951 to about 1,162 million last May. It is growing by around 16 to 17 million every year.
New data shows that India will overtake China as the world's most populous nation by 2025 - five replica clothing years earlier than estimated.
The issue of how many children one should have is very personal, very emotive, and most Indians do not talk about it, or not enough, anyway. They do precious little about it, considering the growing size and dimension of the Indian family.
Discussing the baby boom is not considered politically correct. Political parties mention it, if at all, only in passing in their poll manifestos. "Go out and multiply", faith-based parties advocate, to keep up the numbers of those of their faith compared with others.
Social and economic justifications and virtues are many. A family with daughter(s) wants a son. Although elders no longer bless the new bride with the traditional "may you bear a hundred children," the attitudes have not changed. Children are still "god-sent".
Statistics are reeled out and concerns expressed. After half a century of a halting, half-hearted effort at curbing it, people look furtively at the inverted red triangle, the symbol of the government's population control programme.
Despite the declining poverty rate, about 25 per cent of India's population (about 290 million people) still do not earn enough to afford even two square meals a day.
As India moves ahead economically, its massive population poses a threat to sustainable development and demands immediate attention.
replica breitling The only "action", if one may call it that, is caused by the pressure of urban economics that forces people to have smaller families. In rural areas, the situation has changed only marginally.
Population growth in India has important implications for socio- economic development and quality of life.
Amidst slogans of a "resurgent", and "incredible" India, its excessive population growth is reflected in widespread hunger, poverty, unemployment, lack of physical and health infrastructure and increasing scarcity of basic resources such as food, water and space in several areas, despite concerted development efforts.
The baby boom has contributed heavily to the development model being totally skewed, one that can only encourage disparities and inequalities.
The latest UN projections say India will have two billion people by 2101 if the population continues to grow at the current rate.
The comparison with China is inevitable. In 1979, China's fertility rate was 2.8, while that of Kerala state in south India was 3. By 2007, 28 years after it forced a coercive one-child policy on its people, China's fertility rate stood at 1.7. Kerala reached the same figure but without treating its people like laboratory rats.
Kerala's succe
Other articles:
http://jokersunderground.com/blog.php?user=watches2010&blogentry_id=61
http://www.reformanevada.org/Letter-Short-points.html
http://www.khgd.net/Blog/View/?7067
http://www.zhoos.com/China-hospital-probed-after-ne.html
http://artfolio.com.ua/blog.php?user=watches2010&blogentry_id=122