According to United Nation India could surpass China and will become most populous country by 2027 and will have 1.64 billion people

The average age of population in 2020 will be 29 years; also 65% of population will be below 35 years of age. India will have peak of 59% of population in working age bracket by 2041. Thus there is huge potential locked in our demography.

Consequence of being most populated country-

Positives

• With greater portion of population in working bracket there will be more savings, hence it will provide stimulus for growth in the economy.
• More population means more working hands for taking the nation forward on growth path.
• With improved education and health India can become Centre for human capital India will be exporter of skill to the world where in most other countries the working age population is on decline.

Negatives

• Per capita availability of resources will decline causing resource stress example malnutrition etc.
• Rise in poverty – with more population, the wages will fall as there will be increased supply of workforce and falling demand.
• Problem at aging – when the big population process the productive age it will turn into a burden on the economy.
• Law and order problem – rising population will lead to resource crunch thus leading to rise in crime. Handling such a big population will be challenging.

Reasons for high population

• Low use of contraceptives – only 48% of married women use contraceptive measures in India.
• Poor families tend to have more children to supplement the family income
• High mortality – high mortality pushes family to produce more children as only some of them would survive.

Government initiatives in response to population growth –

• For growth control
  • Mission Parivar Vikas
  • Sterilization compensation scheme
• Skill and education development
  • Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan
  • Mid day meal scheme
  • skill India machine
• For Employment generation
  • Make in India initiative
  • Mudra Yojana
• For Poverty eradication
  • Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
• For mortality control
  • Janani Suraksha Abhiyan
  • mission indradhanush
  • poshan abhiyaan

Way forward

• Increasing awareness about family planning.
• Proper implementation of schemes which have potential to tackle cause of rising population example – Make in India, MGNREGA, Fit India campaign.

Conclusion

India is a developing country which is endowed with a potential population, instead of seeing this as a liability; it must be realized as an asset which will provide the boost – much needed for our growing economy. Special focus must be on health and education sector because without healthy and skilled population there is no chance of growth.