India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country next year, a United Nations' report has said. Released on World Population Day, the report said the world’s population might touch the 8-billion mark on November 15, 2022. The UN confirmed that the world’s population is growing older due to increasing life expectancy and falling fertility levels.
Here's a look at some key facts about population and population control norms in India:
India and China both have a population of over 1.4 billion each. While China has the largest population, India comes second. As per Worldmeters, India's population on July 11 was recorded at around 1.408 billion, while that of China was over 1.450 billion. As per the data, Maharashtra has India's most populous city Mumbai as well as the least populous city Amravati. The UN has projected life expectancy for men in India in 2022 at 61 years, while that of women at 64 years. In 2020, the life expectancy at birth in India touched 70 years, as per World Bank data. Globally, life expectancy reached over 72 years in 2019, witnessing an increase of almost nine years since 1990. The total fertility rate (TFR), or the average number of children a woman would have by the end of her childbearing years, has declined in India over time. The TFR declined from 3.4 children to 2.0 children (a decrease of 1.4 children) between 1992-93 and 2019-21, last year's National Family Health Survey revealed. The UN has projected the fertility rate in 2022 at 2.7 percent. However, a report by the government of India released in 2020 said: "The TFR is expected to decline from 2.37 during 2011-2015 to 1.73 during 2031-35."
Amid the rising population, India is expected to implement the Population Regulation Bill. The Bill was first introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2019. It describes a "small family" as a family or couple having up to two children. It also suggests facilities for government employees who adopt small family norms. These incentives include a rebate on income tax, one additional increment during the entire service period, and a subsidy towards the purchase of a plot or house site. Meanwhile, Assam and Uttar Pradesh have already rolled out policies to control the population in the states. In 2019, the Assam cabinet approved the 'two-child' norm and Prohibition of Child Marriage Act for entry and continuation in government service. The Assam cabinet later said that those with more than two children will not be eligible for government jobs from January 2021.
The Uttar Pradesh government also released a policy to stabilise the population of the state, saying, "public servants under the control of state government who adopts two-child norm by undergoing voluntary sterilisation operation upon himself or spouse, shall be given incentives". These include free health care facility and insurance coverage for spouses and two additional increments during the entire service.
In states such as Telangana and Rajasthan, the law says a person with more than two children shall be disqualified from contesting the election. The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act 1994 says that if a person has more than two children, he will be disqualified from contesting the election as a panch or a member. However, certain conditions were laid to exempt people in exceptional cases.
Meanwhile, the UN said that in 2020, the global growth rate fell under 1 percent per year for the first time since 1950. The world’s population is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100.(Edited by : Akriti Anand)
