Uttar Pradesh (UP), a state in India, recently unveiled its New Population Policy 2021-30, coinciding with World Population Day on 11th July. The commemorative day was established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1989 to spotlight important population issues worldwide. On this date in 1987, world’s population had reached 5 billion, attracting significant public interest and awareness, thus inspiring the inception of World Population Day.
World Population Day: A Brief History
The UNDP recommended 11th July as World Population Day, a day for the global community to focus on pressing population matters. This proposal was passed and first commemorated on 11th July, 1990. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was set up in 1969 when the United Nations General Assembly stated that parents solely had the right to decide freely and sensibly the number and spacing of their children.
The Theme for 2021: Rights and Choices are the Answer
The theme for 2021 emphasized that irrespective of a baby boom or bust, the answer to fluctuating fertility rates is prioritising everyone’s reproductive health and rights.
U.P’s New Population Policy
The policy put forward five key objectives: population control; curbing curable maternal mortality and diseases; limiting curable infant mortality and enhancing their nutrition; improving sexual and reproductive health-related knowledge and services among the young generation; and elderly care. The UP government’s law commission has drafted a population control bill, advocating a two-child norm.
World Population Trends & Issues
The world’s population, currently standing at approximately 7.7 billion is projected to rise to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.9 billion in 2100. This substantial growth is primarily due to more people surviving to reproductive age, leading to significant shifts in fertility rates, urbanization and migration. These trends will have considerable implications for future generations, influencing economic development, employment, income distribution, poverty, and social protections.
India’s Population Related Challenges
India has a tiny fraction of global landmass, just 2%, yet houses 16% of the world’s population. India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is currently 2.2 per woman, nearing the replacement rate of 2.1. The large size and rapid growth of India’s population create specific challenges. Issues such as poverty, illiteracy, and high youth unemployment are becoming increasingly problematic, and the country’s failure to leverage its ‘demographic dividend’ could spell disaster.
The Interplay of Poverty, Illiteracy and Population Growth
Poverty and illiteracy play a critical role in contributing to population growth in India. The literacy rate currently sits at 77.7%, with a noticeable gap between male literacy (84.7%) and female literacy (70.3%). Female education levels particularly impact fertility rates; less educated women are likely to have a higher fertility rate than their better-educated counterparts.
Unemployment Crisis
High youth unemployment is turning India’s demographic advantage into a potential catastrophe. When equipped with quality education and skills training, the youth can contribute to economic development effectively.
The Way Forward
Attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to poverty, gender equality, and economic growth, among others, is crucial. Family planning is an effective strategy to ascertain steady population growth. The government at all levels, citizens, civil societies, and businesses must work together to promote awareness about the sexual and reproductive rights of women and encourage contraception use. The potential economic benefits of population growth must be harnessed through well-researched planning and implementation.
