There is a very famous joke which says – “Just in case somebody starts feeling too important of oneself, to not to forget that the world population is 8045 billion”! 

However, what is Population? Population basically means – ‘the total number of residents residing in a Country.’ Edward Osborne Wilson first coined the term Population in 1971. Individual country census lets every country know about its own population. But the global population is calculated by considering national census data + number of births + number of deaths. Analysing facts & figures, United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) releases ‘State of world population report’. Hence, as per United Nations Estimates – India has emerged out as the World’s most populous country surpassing China. What arrives to us as a matter of question is whether to rejoice for being Number 1 or frazzle ourselves for being Number 1?

A 140-crore population may very well look & seem to be a large number, no doubt! In a 3.28 million square kilometer geographical area, to accommodate such a huge population will definitely call for challenges and tough times.

Some of the stress-causing causes & effects of population explosion in our Nation include:

1. Pollution comes with Population – Every individual wishes to reach their desired destination/s on time, every time. That amounts to making use of vehicles which run on petrol/diesel such as 2-wheelers/4-wheelers. Wheels do not create much trouble but the wheelers do. Be it traffic congestion or release of harmful gases in the environment or vexatious horn sounds, all of it sum up to burdening the surrounding with toxicity.
2. Nature deprived of Natural resources – Natural resources such as land, water, air, soil, coal, petroleum, natural gas etc are all getting depleted due to over consumption by humans.
3. Expenses becoming Expensive – Due to the limited availability of resources & minerals, the prices of all commodities are skyrocketing, ‘making survival of the fittest’ also severe & critical.
4. Poverty – ‘shortage of something somewhere leads to a shortage of everything everywhere’! Poverty arises when an individual or group of individuals start facing difficulties to meet their basic requirements. And poverty is measured using a ‘poverty line’ i.e. to say that when any person’s income falls below a designed ‘minimum level’ necessary to fulfil basic needs, he/she is regarded as poor. Different countries may have different means to measure their respective poverty lines. For instance: - a person not having a car in U.S. may be considered poor. But in India, a car is seen as a luxury!
5. Unemployment – Despite having 'graduates in lakhs' and 'post-graduates in thousands', there is chronic unemployment prevailing in our country. There are cases of academic scholars & gold medallists too facing this issue, exorbitantly.
6. Social stigma – There’s a good amount of population in vulnerable areas which trembles out of fear, by merely hearing to the term of ‘operation’ and hence disregards family planning. There’s also another set of the population which believes that ‘the more the kids, the many the people to work and earn in the family’. And that is how they contribute towards population explosion.
7. Illiteracy – Many families look down upon education due to lack of awareness or due to lack of financial capital to afford for quality education, thus causing a burden on National Prosperity.
8. Lack of women empowerment – Stereotypic mind-sets as those of “a male child alone is eligible to carry forward the respective family’s clan & lineage & hence he alone is entitled to all the basic rights, titles, and liberties”, degrades a girl’s self-esteem and privilege to succeed in her life.
9. Migration – Geographically, every state has its limited boundaries & territories and hence, a restrained number of people that it can accommodate. But, due to wars and aggressions or natural disasters or in search of jobs, people are found migrating from one region to another and thus, burdening the ecosystem altogether.

Indian PM – honourable Sri Narendra Modi had also mentioned in his speech at the Red Fort during the 73rd Indian Independence celebration, that “our rapidly increasing population poses new challenges. There is a section that is well aware of the consequences of uncontrolled population growth. They deserve to be honoured and respected.” He placed the issue of “population explosion” on the National front burner, calling it a challenge, and exhorted the centre & the states to devise schemes to tackle it. Thanks to Prime Minister and to all the Organisations, Ministries, and Institutions which worked day and night and brought out various solutions such as the ‘2 child policy’, slogans like ‘small family, happy family’, ‘ population control bill,2019’, ‘National family planning indemnity scheme’ etc.

As a result of which, India achieved a remarkable feat of achievement today. According to the National Family Health Survey 5 report (NFHS 5), India attained a Total Fertility Rate (average number of children born to a female in her reproductive lifetime) of 2.0 for the first time, less than the replacement level of 2.1, falling from 2.2 in NFHS-4(2015-16).

Well, then how did we emerge out to rank No.1 & become the “World’s most populous Nation”? This question can be answered using a term called – ‘population momentum’. Let’s have a look at this figure now!

Population momentum is a concept which means – a reduction in the fertility rate of the country but an increase in the young population which forms the bulk group of society. As the graph above shows that we Indians comprise of a larger set of people in age groups between 15-64 than those in infant or old-aged brackets. This means to say that population momentum is largely about ‘how big the existing population already is’ rather than ‘how it increases’. Ultimately, when the fertility rate reaches the replacement rate and the population size of women in the reproductive age bracket stabilizes, the population achieves equilibrium and population momentum comes to an end.

But do u remember what Elon Musk, the Chief Executive Officer of Tesla Motors, stated about population long back? He said – “population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to civilization than global warming”. Does that mean that population can be looked upon as an asset instead of a liability? ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!!!

Here’s how that is possible –

• Indian Young Population - We wear the title of being ‘world’s youngest population-owning country’ with pride, as we have a bigger mass under the working age group as compared to other Nations. That is to say, unlike the Chinese population which was rapidly ageing due to 1 child policy, we are blessed to have a bigger population mushrooming the working age group. When the population is young, it can easily adapt to changes and is flexible for enhanced technological advancements as well.
• Enhanced human capital – Humans form a vital part of our society by themselves being an important resource. How often did we not feel – ‘wish, there was another Einstein or somebody like Hawking or Kalam Sir?’ More people in the society call for more number of human brains generating a bigger pool of inventions and innovations.
• Growing per capita – As the number of working people increases, so will the Nation’s income increase too. This would result into economic growth and development of a Nation as a whole.
• Increase in standard of living – Better incomes would invite improvement in the lifestyle of the masses as well. Progress in the lifestyle would decrease the skirmishes over properties and finances.

However, “a million rainbows cannot come to life, all at the same time”. Isn’t it?

A right action in the right place at the right time in the right flow is essential in order to convert ‘congestion’ into a ‘celebration’ and that is possible only with strict compliance with measures and regulations. Here are some of the initiatives taken to boost up the opulence of our Nation:-

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is making efforts to expand the country’s economy and create jobs, for example, through its flagship scheme ‘Make in India’, which aims to transform the county into a manufacturing centre.
• Government’s ‘Skill India initiative’ is focused on ensuring that youth are better equipped to meet the needs of companies through measures such as training and partnerships with countries including Japan to co-operate on skill development initiatives.
• Generating employment opportunities to rural areas through MGNREGA and also helping tribal kids to foster their skill development through various programmes.
• Encouraging startup cultures through adequate funds and functionaries.
• Promoting women empowerment through schemes such as ‘Sukanya Samriddhi yojana’.
• Aspiring to enhance quality education through the National Education Policy which aims for the overall development of a child instead of mere rote learning.
• Improvement in health and infrastructure through availing medicines and treatments at an affordable price.
• Improving tourism and hence the infrastructure of the country inorder to attract foreign investments.
• Integrating Artificial Intelligence and related technologies to expand transparency and timely services.
• Promoting farmer-friendly schemes and incentives to help them lead a prosperous life.
• Digitalization of the system to prevent corruption and lead the country into virtuous cycle of productive investments over a vicious cycle of debts.
• Improving defence sector’s capabilities and potential through modernising weaponry and weapon systems.
• Preserving indigenous customs, cultures, artifacts and traditions.

All such and many others helped us move with a fleeting speed towards becoming the world’s 5th largest economy in terms of GDP and have attained substantive laurels in the fields of space, medicine, sports, etc.

Luckily, many private organisations have also come forward to take our Country towards pinnacles of glory through empowering women which instilled confidence in many families where girls can claim to state that – “Bread Makers are now Bread Winners” too.

Despite such multiple steps and initiatives and staunch diligence by our officials, we stand 132nd out of 191 countries in Human Development Index, and 136th out of 146 Nations in World Happiness Index. This is due to a lack of awareness amidst the citizens of our country. Even to get a biscuit packet from the nearest shop located at a distance not less than 100 metres, youngsters require a scooty these days. Why not walk or paddle your bicycles instead? We need water to fetch our thirst, and resorts to spend holidays, but forests to destroy and destruct?

Friends, we can take small steps to educate masses to advance towards overall development through – Making use of Natural renewable resources such as Solar panels, solar heaters, exploiting rain-water harvesting methodologies, opting for organic farming, purchasing Indian goods & services, exploring Indian heritages before eating cuisines overseas, etc.

In addition, we live in a country where we worship Mata Yashoda and Mata Devaki as Lord Krishna’s Mothers and yet are pretty ignorant to adopting kids. India’s adoption rate seems abysmal despite its 30 million abandoned kids. Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) of India handles legal adoptions and adoption processes in a simple manner. Wouldn’t it be great to provide a better life to the existing lives instead of giving birth to new lives and increasing population?

Eventually, all human communications begin with an infant’s first cry as soon as it enters a new world and that is how she announces her presence to everybody around. Further, this first cry evolves into a word and the elegance of the spoken word becomes great oratory, and the elegance of the written word, a great literature. Finally, a great literature teaches the qualitative texture of the world! This throws light upon the importance of understanding as to how every individual is mandatorily a special resource of his/her own Nation and who has equal obligation towards her/his Nation’s prosperity. Just like how a cry transforms into a word, it is in each of us to transform our Developing Nation into a Developed Nation. As we are about to celebrate ‘world population day’ on the 11th of July, let us resolve to ourselves to obtain an optimistic society through positive perspectives. We can have the cake, the icing and the cherry on top too, if only we satisfy humane traits and aspects, for, “one does not become a Human by merely being born as a Human Being, rather one becomes a Human, only by, Being Human”.

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