Population Explosion in India – Causes & Remedy

There two main causes of high increase in population in India viz. High Birth Rate, and Low Death Rate. Birth rate refers to the number of children born per thousand persons in a year. Death rate refers to the number of persons who die per thousand persons in a year.

Improvement in health and medical facilities and proper distribution of food grains in the country brought down the death rate and increased the birth rate.

Causes of High Birth Rate

There are several causes of high birth rate in India. Firstly, poverty is main cause as poor people consider children as assets who help them to supplement family income even at the tender age. Secondly, illiteracy among the rural people has been traditionally an important reason. Due to high infant mortality rate, people were encouraged to have more children in last century. Thirdly, attitude towards having a male child resulted in high birth rate. Fourthly, early marriage results in long child bearing capacity and causes high birth rate. Universality of marriage in India also supplements this reason.

Causes of Decline in Death Rate

The death rate in past used to be very high due to epidemics and famines. Most of the epidemics have been controlled and mass destruction of human life does not take place due to epidemics. The spread of medical facilities in rural areas has reduced the occurrence of epidemics and communicable diseases like cholera and smallpox. Easy availability of life-saving drugs have saved lives of millions of people. The spread of institutional delivery, female education, urbanization etc. have resulted in decline of the death rates.

The Overpopulation Debate

There is no particular criterion to judge whether a country is over-populated or not. Economists in India have put forward the reasons for and against the question of whether India is over-populated.

Argument against the perception that India is over populated

Some economists argue that there are ample natural resources in the country. Output can be sufficiently increased by exploiting and utilising the natural resources judiciously. There is also rising per-capita income which proved that India is not over-populated. Population density in India is low compared to many other countries.

Argument favouring the perception that India is overpopulated

The standard of living in India is very low. Further increase in the population of poor families will prove to be fatal. The economic growth of the country is not able to create enough employment opportunities for the rising population.

Population Control in India – Remedial Measures

Large size of population is a challenge for India’s economic development and is needs to be addressed. The growing population problem calls for a definite population policy and its effective implementation. There are several remedial measures to control population. Firstly, the late marriages should be encouraged to reduce the period of reproduction among the females, bringing down the birth rate. Secondly, self restraint due to spread of awareness and education can help in combating high rise in population. Increased consciousness towards better standard of life comes due to education and awareness and induces people to reduce their family size. Thirdly, Infant Mortality Rate should be brought down. People produce many children when Infant Mortality Rate is high, so that they can offset the loss due to premature death of their offspring.  Fourthly, women should be treated on par with their male counterparts. Education among women should be encouraged to make them financially independent. Working women prefer small size families. Fifthly, more planned families should be covered under social security schemes. Children are born in India in a hope that they would take care of parents in old age. An increased social security net will lessen the desire to produce children as old age insurance. Sixthly, the availability of cheap devices of birth control should be in place.