National population policy and focus on backward states

Population policy seems to present a seemingly non-political dilemma. Sudden decline in death rates raised the growth rate of the population of the country. This led to a panic reaction, family planning program fluctuating between voluntarism and coercion, and demand for empowerment. Today we are at a stage when:

(a) the country has a high though declining rate of growth of population;

(b) fertility going below the replacement level in several states;

(c) high but declining fertility in certain other states and socio-economic groups; and

(d) rapid migration for education and employment. The new policy has decided to focus on backward states (euphemistically called the Empowered Action Group States) where fertility is still high. It is not unlikely that in the poorer states, due to Malthusian reasons, rising aspirations and concern for education of children, fertility may now decline faster than in the developed states. How shall we take care of aging, surplus population in the working ages without necessary capital, social capital and knowledge, and continuing poor condition with respect to morbidity and mortality among certain groups?

There are many other dilemmas; we will touch upon while discussing the case of India more particularly.