Demography India Vol. 26, No. 2 (1997)

From the Chief Editor’s Desk

As most of the informed citizens of this country are aware, the population scenario of India continues to be of serious concern. The Registrar General of India has estimated the population size at 955.22 million on 1st July 1997 and we are adding about 18 million people every year at a growth rate of 1.9%. While growth rates have slowed down considerably in some of the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Andhra Pradesh and the rates of growth are slowing down though moderately in a few other states as well, the pace of change continues to be very high in the larger States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Orissa. In this third group of States, there is an imperative need for undertaking intensive programmes of fertility regulation immediately by preventing first the unwanted births in the future, stated to be unwanted by the couples themselves. This can be done by sound programmes of reproductive health including family planning appropriately and humanely designed and efficiently implemented.

Recent studies by developmental economists, Alien Kelley and others, on the inter- relationship between population and growth and economic development in developing countries in the eighties and early nineties, have revealed that rapid reductions in fertility and population growth rates have contributed significantly and synergistically toward acceleration of economic growth in countries of South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia. These East Asian countries that have recorded remarkably high economic growth rates, of more than 9% per year, in the eighties and early nineties, have benefitted enormously by the rapid reductions in fertility and population growth rates that have preceded or coincided with their economic boom. The investments that would have otherwise gone in consumption and basic health care expenditure for the additional pregnancies and children, have been ploughed back into the economy for productive economic returns. India should utilize the findings from these studies in their national policies.

There is no doubt that regulation of high fertility levels in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Orissa should be attended to as a priority issue, by all the political parties representing their people from these States and nation at large and such a commitment is yet to be forthcoming. Commitments to programme of reproductive health, female literacy and high quality family planning services should form part of the 'manifestos' of every political party in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

It is gratifying to note that at the special session of Lok Sabha held during 1997, all Member of Parliament unanimously resolved that the issue of curtailment of population growth in the country will be undertaken as a National Task beyond party politics. Fortunately, women even in high fertility states desire relatively small family size, better spacing between two children and willing to use modern methods of contraception, as revealed by the National Family Health Survey. Population stabilisation, reproductive health and female literacy programmes are to form an integral part of the developmental activities of every party. Though there may be difference of opinion in the adoption of small family norm by members of parliament themselves and making the same as a condition for their continuation in their elected offices, there should be no difference of opinion in meeting the unmet needs of couples with regard to spacing and limitation of children and provision of facilities for improvements in female literacy, reproductive health conditions and reduction of infant mortality which are important components of any programme of population stabilisation. The urgent need to provide acceptable, easily accessible and economically affordable contraceptive services to all couples in the country can hardly be overemphasized.

K Srinivasan
Chief Editor, Demography India