Does India need a population policy?

GS paper 2

Syllabus: Issues related to the development of the social sector, Government policies and interventions for the development of various sectors etc

Source: The Hindu

Context:

The United Nations published data to show that India would surpass China as the world’s most populous country by 2023.

• According to the 2018-19 Economic Survey, India’s demographic dividend will peak around 2041.

Do we need a population policy? Yes.

• The previous Population policy was designed way back in 2000.
• Include Ageing: There is a need to tweak and add ageing to our population policy focus.
• Focus on Reproductive health: Focusing on other challenges that go along with enhancing reproductive health.
• Policy that enhances population as resources: For India’s development, and ensures that the population is happy, healthy, and productive.
• Move away from the two-child norm: Need to move away from the focus on the two-child norm.

Steps that need to be taken amid rising population:

• Family welfare: Move from a family planning approach to a family welfare approach.
• Empowering men and women: Being able to make informed choices about their fertility, health and well-being.
• Skilling: Learning new skills.
• Economic planning: that ensures good jobs, agricultural productivity, etc.
• Public policy: Making sharp changes in public policy to manage the population.
• Focus not on the fertility rate but on creating a situation in which slow changes in the family size take place in the context of a growing economy.
• Planning for equal consideration: Every fifth Indian by 2050 will be over the age of 65.
  • So planning for this segment merits equal consideration.
• Invest: In adolescent well-being to reap the benefits
• Improve employment opportunities: For young women and increase the female employment rate.
• Social support: Elderly women need economic and social support networks.

Insta Links:

India to surpass China as the most populous country in a year

Mains Links:

Q. Despite Consistent experience of high growth, India still goes with the lowest indicators of human development. Examine the issues that make balanced and inclusive development elusive. (UPSC 2021)

Prelims Links:

• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
• UNGA
• Automation
• Ageing
• Fertility rate