Population & Associated Issues - 2 | Indian Society for UPSC CSE PDF Download

National Population Policy, 2000

• GoI launched the National Population Policy in 2000 to improve quality of lives of people of India and to provide them with equal opportunities to be productive individual of society.
• The basic aim of this policy is to cover various issues of maternal health, child survival, and contraception and to make reproductive health care accessible and affordable for all.
• SDG 3 (3.7) – By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.
• Choices – It reiterated the government’s resolve to push for voluntary and informed choice and agreeability of citizens to get maximum benefit from reproductive health services.
• Framework – It embarks on a policy outline for the government for next ten years to improve the reproductive and child health needs of people of India which include issues like child survival, maternal health, contraception, etc.
• Education – School education upto age of 14, to be made free and mandatory. This will also include plan to check drop-out rate of boys and girls.
• IMR – The policy also aims at curbing the IMR to less than 30/1000 live births.
• MMR0 – The Maternal Mortality Rate will also be brought down to less than 100/1, 00,000 live births. A high MMR is a symbol of economic and social disparity of the fairer sex. It also points to heightened inequities in terms of healthcare and nutrition.
• Immunisation – Another important feature of the policy is to attain universal immunisation of all children against preventable diseases.
• Marriages – The policy will also act against child marriage and promote 20 years as the right marriageable age for girls. The legal age for same is 18 years.
• Deliveries – The policy will actively support a target of 80% institutional deliveries and 100 % deliveries by trained persons.
• It also seeks to achieve 100 % registration of births, deaths, marriages and pregnancies.
• Preventing and controlling all communicable diseases.
• It will also strive to Integrate Indian Systems of Medicine to provide reproductive and child health services by reaching out to households.
• It thus will seek to integrate and converge all related social sector programmes so that complete family welfare and health can be taken care of and properly maintained.
• NPP 2000 also emphasizes the role of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddh and Homeopathy (AYUSH) medicine system to serve the goals of public health.
• The NPP 2000 strived to change the mindsets and behaviour of people from base level. Its intense focus on women empowerment has led to improvement in many national statistics.

Critical Assessment of India’s Population Policy

• The NPP have a narrow perspective, give much importance to contraception and sterilisation. The basic prerequisite of meaningfully controlling population include poverty alleviation, improving the standards of living and the spread of education.
• On national scale the policy was not publicised and failed to generate mass support in favour of population control.
• We have insufficient infrastructure owing to the lack of trained staff, lack of adequate aptitude among the staff and limited use or misuse of the equipment for population control resulted in failure of the policy.
• The use of coercion during the Emergency (1976-77) caused a serious resentment among the masses. This made the very NPP itself very unpopular.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

• It is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and works as a sexual and reproductive health agency.
• It was established as a trust fund in 1967and began operations in 1969.
• In 1987, it was officially renamed the United Nations Population Fund but the original abbreviation, ‘UNFPA’for the United Nations Fund for Population Activities was retained.
• The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) establishes its mandate.
• UNFPA is not supported by the UN budget, instead, it is entirely supported by voluntary contributions of donor governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, foundations and individuals.
• UNFPA works directly to tackleon health (SDG3), education (SDG4) and gender equality (SDG5).
• India can achieve a number of SDGs if it links them with family planning.

Theory of Demographic Transition

• The term was first coined by the American demographer Frank W. Notesteinin the mid-twentieth century, but it has since been elaborated and expanded upon by many others.
• Theory of Demographic Transition is a theory that throws light on changes in birth rate and death rate and consequently on the growth rate of the population.
• It is a generalized description of the changing pattern of mortality, fertility, and growth rates as societies move from one demographic regime to another.

There are four stages to the classical demographic transition model:

First Stage

• This stage has been called the high population growth potential stage. It is characterized by high and fluctuating birth and death rates which will almost neutralize each other.

Second Stage

• It is called the stage of Population Explosion. In this stage, the death rate is decreasing while the birth rate remains constant at a high level.
• Agricultural and industrial productivity increases, means of transport and communication develops.
• There is great mobility of labor. Education expands. Income also increases. People get more and better quality of food products.
•  Medical and health facilities are expanded.

Third Stage

• In this stage, the birth rate as compared to the death rate declines more rapidly. As a result, the population grows at a diminishing rate.
• This stage witnesses a fall in the birth rate while the death rate stays constant because it has already declined to the lowest minimum.
• Birth rate declines due to the impact of economic development, changed social attitudes and increased facilities for family planning.
• The population continues to grow fast because the death rate stops falling whereas the birth rate though declining but remains higher than the death rate.

Fourth Stage

• It is called the stage of the stationary population.
• Birth rate and death rate are both at a low level and they are again near balance.
• The birth rate is approximately equal to the death rate and there is little growth in population.
• It becomes more or less stationary at a low level.

Demographic Dividend

• Demographic dividend occurs when the proportion of working people in the total population is high because this indicates that more people have the potential to be productive and contribute to the growth of the economy.
• More than 63% of the population in India is in the age group of 15-59 years, broadly termed as India’s demographic
• But this potential can be converted into actual growth only if the rise in the working-age group is accompanied by increasing levels of education and employment.
• Since 2018, India’s working-age population (people between 15 and 64 years of age) has grown larger than the dependant population — children aged 14 or below as well as people above 65 years of age. This bulge in the working-age population is going to last till 2055, or 37 years from its beginning.
• India is on the right side of demographic transition that provides a golden opportunity for its rapid socio-economic development if policymakers align the developmental policies with this demographic shift.
• To reap the demographic dividend, proper investment in human capital is needed by focussing on education, skill development and healthcare facilities.

According to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), demographic dividend means, “the economic growth potential that can result from shifts in a population’s age structure, mainly when the share of the working-age population (15 to 64) is larger than the non-working-age share of the population (14 and younger, and 65 and older)”.

Sample Registration System

• The SRS is a demographic surveyfor providing reliable annual estimates of infant mortality rate, birth rate, death rate and other fertility and mortality indicators at the national and sub-national levels.
• It was initiated on a pilot basis by the Registrar General of India in a few states in 1964-65, it became fully operational during 1969-70.

Population Issues

• Rapid population growth leads to a large population of young people who are dependent on a relatively small section of the working population
• Unemployment: In many underdeveloped countries industry is not well established and there are few employment opportunities for unskilled workers.

Environmental Degradation

• Unbridled use of natural resources, as well as growth in energy production from coal, oil, and natural gas (fossil fuels), is having a negative impact on the planet.
• Diversion of water for domestic, industrial and agricultural uses leading to increased river pollution and decrease in self-cleaning properties of rivers.
• Increasing water requirement leading to tapping deeper aquifers which have high content of arsenic or fluoride resulting health problems.
• Disturbance from increased recreational activity and tourism causing pollution of natural ecosystems with wastes left behind by people.

Rising Living Costs

• All the above will lead, at the end of the day, to increasing living costs in most countries.
• Fewer resources, less water, the packing of many people into confined spaces, and a lack of money are provoking an increase in the cost of living whereby only a percentage of the population will be able to cover all their needs.

Food Security

• It is estimated that the global population will grow to 9 billion by 2050 and the food production will double; improvement in purchasing power and changing dietary habits (shift to animal products) may further add to the requirement of food grains.
• In the next five decades, the food and nutrition security could become critical in many parts of the world especially in the developing countries and pockets of poverty in the developed countries.
• Over years the coarse grain production has remained stagnant and per capita availability of coarse grain has under gone substantial reduction; there has been a shift away from coarse grains to rice and wheat consumption even among poorer segment of population.

 Problems of Under Population

• A reduction over time in a region’s population can be caused by several factors including sub-replacement fertility(along with limited immigration), heavy emigration, disease, famine

 Population Problems of Advanced Countries

• Ageing Population: Due to the low birth rate the proportion of young people in the population is relatively small.
• Small Workforce: As educational standards improve children remain longer at school and join the workforce later
• Rural Depopulation: Steady movement of the population occurs from the countryside to towns due to the pull factors of city life.
• Urbanization: As towns expand, the pressure on transport, water supplies, sewage and refuse disposal grows and creates problems

Declining Sex Ratio

• India’s sex ratio, or the number of females per 1,000 males, declined to 896 in 2015-17 from 898 in 2014-16, according to a government survey
• Women now represent 40 percent of the global labor force, 43 percent of the world’s agricultural labour force, and more than half the world’s university students.
• Productivity will be raised if their skills and talents are used more fully.

Implications of Lowering Sex Ratio

• Low Sex ratio at birth has led to large numbers of “surplus men” in countries like India andChina.
• Skewed sex ratio leads to more violence against men and women, as well as human trafficking
• Skewed sex ratio reduces the ability of women to influence policymaking and act as a pressure group. Skewed sex ratio is leading to the practice of bride purchase.
• This is leading to the objectification of women.

What needs to be Done?

• The welfare schemes must be aimed at not only bringing the structural reforms rather attitudinal changes. For example, the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao program launched as a movement.
• Promoting the women’s participation at the higher levels so that empowerment can penetrate through their efforts. For example, the 108th CAA be implemented to provide a 33% reservation to the women in the parliament. This empowers the few and inspires the millions.
• Capacity building program for empowering the women through an inward out process. For example, SHGs for micro-lending linkage.
• Educating the Adolescent Girl Children about Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Health.
• Improvement in the food quality of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
• Bio-fortification of food grains distributed through PDS which address Hidden Hunger.

Various Factors that Affect Population Growth

• In 1961, the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), deaths of infants per 1000 live births, was 115. The current all India average is much lower at 57. However, in most developed countries this figure is less than 5.
• A key factor affecting the growth of the population is the death, or mortality rate.
• Just as the birth of new people increases the population size, deaths decrease it.
• The factors that affect the mortality rate include the availability and affordability of quality health care and lifestyle habits

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

• Infant mortality is the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1000 live births
• IMR has decreased to 32 about one-fourth as compared to 1971 (129).
• The IMR at an all-India level has declined from 50 to 32 in the last decade.
• Madhya Pradesh has the highestIMR of 48 and Nagaland has the lowest IMR of 4.

Early Marriage

• Nationwide almost 43% of married women aged 20-24 were married before the age of 18. This figure is as high as 68% in Bihar.
• Early marriage increases the likelihood of more children, it also puts the woman’s health at risk.

Fertility Rate

• The factor which affects the growth of the population in the biggest way is the fertility rate.
• For more information refer determinants of population change.

Immigration and Emigration

• Cross-border migration is the act of people moving from one country to another.
• It affects the population size of both the host and destination countries.
• Emigration is caused by a number of factors, such as fleeing war, finding education, seeking new jobs, or joining family members. When a person emigrates from a country, its population shrinks.
• When someone moves to a country from another place, it is known as immigration. Whether or not a person is allowed to immigrate is controlled by the country that will host this person.

Availability of Family Planning

• Increased availability of contraception can enable women to limit family size closer to the desired level.
• According to NFHS III (2005-06), only 56% of currently married women use some method of family planning in India. A majority of them (37%) have adopted permanent methods like sterilization.
• Other socio-economic factors – The desire for larger families particularly preference for a male child also leads to higher birth rates. It is estimated that preference for a male child and high infant mortality together account for 20% of the total births in the country.
• The United Nation’s World Population Prospect, 2019 highlights that the world population continues to grow but at a slower pace (from 5.3 billion people in 1990 to 7.7 billion people in 2019) owing to the global efforts to reduce levels of fertility. This population is projected to be increased to 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and reach up to 10.9 billion by 2100.

New Interventions under Family Planning

• Scheme for Home delivery of contraceptives by ASHAs at the doorstep of beneficiaries
  • The govt. has launched a scheme to utilize the services of ASHA to deliver contraceptives at the doorstep of beneficiaries.
• Scheme for ASHAs to ensure spacing in births
  • Under this scheme, services of ASHAs to be utilized for counselling newly married couples to ensure a delay of 2 years in birth after marriage and couples with 1 child to have a spacing of 3 years after the birth of 1stchild
• Boost to spacing methods
  • By the introduction of new method PPIUCD (Post-Partum Intra Uterine Contraceptive Device
  • Introduction of the new device Cu IUCD 375, which is effective for 5 years.
  • Emphasis on Postpartum Family Planning (PPFP) services with the introduction of PPIUCD and promotion of minilab as the main mode of providing sterilization in the form of postpartum sterilization to capitalize on the huge cases coming in for institutional delivery under JSY
  • Compensation for sterilization acceptors has been enhanced for 11 High Focus States with high TFR.
• PRERNA Strategy
• In order to help push up the age of marriage of girls and space the birth of children in the interest of the health of young mothers and infants, Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (National Population Stabilization Fund) – an autonomous body of the MoHFW, Govt. of India has launched PRERNA, a Responsible Parenthood Strategy in all districts of seven focus states namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Rajasthan.
• Santushti Strategy
  • Under this strategy, Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh invites private sector gynecologists and vasectomy surgeons to conduct sterilization operations in the Public-Private Partnership model.
• National Helpline
  • JSK also runs call centers for providing free advice on reproductive health, family planning, maternal health and child health, etc.
• Advocacy & IEC activities
  • JSK as a part of its awareness and advocacy efforts on population stabilization has established networks and partnerships with other ministries, development partners, private sectors, corporate and professional bodies for spreading its activities through electronic media, print media, workshop, walkathon.
• Mission Parivar Vikas
  • The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched “Mission Parivar Vikas” in 145 high focus districts having the highest total fertility rates in the country. These 145 districts are in the seven-high focus, high TFR states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Assam that constitute 44% of the country’s population.
  • The main objective of ‘Mission Parivar Vikas’ will be to accelerate access to high quality family planning choices based on information, reliable services and supplies within a rights-based framework.
• Saas Bahu Sammelan
  • The main objective of this initiative is to hold regular meetings between expecting and new mothers and their mothers-in-law to address any concerns prevalent and advise each party about tackling these matters
• Contraceptives Antara and Chhaya
  • The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 5 September 2017 launched two new contraceptives- an injectable contraceptive MPA under the ‘Antara’ programme and a contraceptive pill ‘Chhaya’ in the public health system to expand the basket of contraceptive choices for couples.
  • These contraceptives have been launched in 10 states including Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana, West Bengal, Odisha and Goa.
  • The ‘Antara’ injectable is effective for three months and the ‘Chayya’ pill is effective for one week.

Recent Developments

India’s Two-Child Policy refers to the family planning laws which restrict the number of children to two for a given couple. Recently, the Assam government announced that people with more than two children will not be eligible for government jobs from January 2021.

Impact of Two Child policy

• By restricting the number of children that can be born, there will not be enough educated young people in the next generation to carry on India’s technological revolution
• The population growth of India will slow down naturally as the country grows richer and becomes more educated
• The law related may also be anti-women. The law discriminates against women right from birth (through abortion or infanticide of female fetuses and babies), but divorce and familial abandonment are at risk of increasing if a man with a large family wants to run for political office.
• A legal restriction to two children could force couples to go for sex-selective abortion.