WORLD POPULATION DAY – by Kishan Gopal Behl

 President All India Consumers Council, Uttarakhand.
World Population Day is annually observed on July 11 to reaffirm the
human right to plan for a family  and encourage  activities, events
and information to help make this right a reality throughout the world
keeping in  view  the terrain and  the type of development needed
there. The theme this year is to attract the attention of people with
the help of posters, picturess etc.
The World Population is anticipated to shortly surpass seven billion,
double the amount of individuals living on Earth fifty years past.
Everyday, one billion individuals go hungry. One billion individuals
haven’t got access to wash water. We have to control population if we
really wish to have a comfortable life.
Family planning is an important topic raised during World Population
Day. It aims to increase people’s awareness on various population
issues such as the importance of family planning, including gender
equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights. Activities
include seminar discussions, educational information sessions and
essay competitions etc.
In 1968 world leaders proclaimed that individuals had a basic human
right to determine freely and responsibly the number and timing of
their children. But nothing substantial was achieved till  World
Population Day was instituted in 1989 when the world population
crossed Five Billion, mark on July 11, 1987. The UN authorized the
event as a vehicle to build an awareness of population issues and the
impact they have on development and the environment. Since then, with
the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) encouragement,
governments, non-governmental organizations, institutions and
individuals organize various educational activities to celebrate the
annual event.
The Day encourages activities, events and information to help make
this right a reality throughout the world.
India is one of the very few countries in the World  which has a proud
history of holding census after every ten years. The first complete
census was conducted in 1830 where the statistics of population with
sex, age groups, and types of houses with amenities etc. were brought
out. After 1941 census, India achieved Independence and the first
census of Independent India was conducted from 9th to 28th February
1951. Since then the pattern of collecting data changed with the
pattern of Planning Commissions.
 The growth of population in India right from Aryan days when they
migrated to Gangetic Planes. The population is still more along the
States in  this region which host people from 43 to 46% of the total
population of the country.
   Inspite of the measures taken to control the population it is still
going up though at a slightly lower rate. The latest U.N. Report says
that is the present trend goes on India may equal the population of
China in 2028 and may surpass it in next few years.
 India is projected to become the world’s most populous country much
earlier than previously estimated, equaling China’s population by 2028
even as the global population is expected to grow to 8.1 billion by
2025.
Significantly, the average age of the population will be much higher
for both countries than what it is now.  By the end of the 21st
century, Nigeria could potentially displace China as the second most
populous country.
 By 2050, the world population is expected to reach 9.6 billion and
increase to 10.9 billion in the year 2100. “At the country level, much
of the overall increase, in population, between now and 2050 is
projected to take place in high fertility countries mainly in Africa,
as well as countries with large populations such as India, Indonesia,
Pakistan, the Philippines and the United States,” said an emailed
statement from the UN information office in New Delhi.
Bangladesh is witnessing a population explosion so it is natural that
migration from there even into India will increase.
In the case of India and China, both are expected to have a population
of 1.45 billion each by 2028, the UN statement said, adding,
“Thereafter India’s population will continue to grow for several
decades to around 1.6 billion and then decline slowly to 1.5 billion
in 2100. The population of China, on the other hand, is expected to
start decreasing after 2030, possibly reaching 1.1 billion in
2100.”Though it was significant, however, that India was projected to
equal or overtake China’s population by 2028, much earlier than the
previously expected 2035 or 2045.
“This only shows in India family planning or family welfare programs
have not been successful the way they have been implemented. People
should be given more education on the subject but some controls should
be imposed besides giving some incentives for those who limit  their
families. A growing active population is a great advantage for a
country, but only if the government plans for the economic and social
development. If the government fails to provide employment to the
growing active population, there is a risk of political instability as
the restlessness in the younger population grows.
 “An older average population is not good for any economy as the older
people will have to be supported by the younger generation. We will
have to consider retiring the older population later for the economy
to sustain itself. We have to internally restructure the economy in
such a way that the people can contribute more. We will need more
automation of the industries, so that less people are required to
work,
In terms of life expectancy, the average for India by the year 2100 is
projected to be 80.6 years, rising dramatically from the current 66.3
years.
On ‘World Population Day’ when we try to look into the Population in
India a feeling comes that the population of India should have gone
down as the educated class all over the country has got the message
that they have to keep the population under control and are producing
less children. Though this constraint is not as much as to keep the
population low but actually the economic compulsions are forcing them
to keep the family small as they are finding rearing of children more
costlier. Secondly, under the growing cost and other economic
conditions it is difficult rather impossible to give good education to
more children. It is thus the economic constraints which are forcing
people to adopt small family norms and the credit do not go to Govt.
or other agencies.
    Well this state is only limited to educated class irrespective of
class creed or religion but when we review the situation below it we
find that the people are not bothered about this aspect at all for
they believe that it is the Govt. duty to look after them and the more
children they have the better as more aid comes their way and moreover
their children straight from childhood render them help in one way or
the other and add to their income.This is quite visible in Jhuggi
Jhonparies and other poorer scctions of the society, the Tribal people
where the conditions are really pathetic but some how they pull on.
The Politicians encourage them and try to bring them as nearer to
cities as possible to build their vote banks and change the voting
pattern which may not suit them. It is the self interest of the
politicians which is allowing new colonies to come up which are
totally unplanned and add to the miseries of poorer people rather than
solving those. This needs to be stopped forthwith.
Reason for increase in population are the declined in death rate,
better living in houses protected man from wild animal, heat, cold,
rain, floods, and storms. Better health standards and better living.
The only practicable and direct method of control population is to
reduce the birth rate. This can be achieved by education–Apprising
people of the ill effects of increase in Population. and family
planning.– Birth rate can be reduced by family planning measures,
such as use of contraceptives and pills, sterilization etc.
 It is time that India adopts some strict measures to control its
population, to keep in tune with the development of the country.