Although there are different numbers bounding around out there, the population of India is reckoned to be approximately 1.37 billion, second only to China's 1.39 billion. The third most populated country is the USA, with a measly 330 million. Canada has less than 40 million
Within a few short years, India is set to match China's population. This growth is a huge concern, even though the birth rate is slowing, and peak population is expected to arrive in about 30 years, leveling off at 1.7 billion.
As alarming as this is, I find it hard to criticize a country when my own ancestors were popping out babies a dozen at a time only two generations ago.
Educating girls, allowing women to enter the working world and enabling access to birth control have been the three most effective methods of slowing population overgrowth, a proven recipe for many countries,including my own.
Educating girls, allowing women to enter the working world and enabling access to birth control have been the three most effective methods of slowing population overgrowth, a proven recipe for many countries,including my own.
India does know this and the government is heavily invested in education for girls to catch up to boys, and promoting job growth for women. (I don't know about the third one - contraception - from a policy level). Every one of the people we have met who has children under age 20 have none or 1, rarely 2, and all agree that this needs to happen country-wide, especially with the poorer citizens who have not previously had access to education and jobs.
India has to also battle its dire history of treatment towards women and girls - rape and abuse and so called "honour" killings abound. Girls are taught how to behave but boys are not. This is changing from the policy level at least, with cases loudly decried in the country's press and media.
India has to also battle its dire history of treatment towards women and girls - rape and abuse and so called "honour" killings abound. Girls are taught how to behave but boys are not. This is changing from the policy level at least, with cases loudly decried in the country's press and media.
One of the amazing things I have found out while here is that India is perhaps one of the only countries in the world that can actually feed itself without importing any foodstuffs, incredible given its population. The government's second priority (after education) is agriculture, with health care being the third. For this reason I have high hopes for India's future, if it can remain true to its admirable constitution, itself under fire at the moment.
That's worth waiting one more generation for.
No comments:
Post a Comment