The fast rate of growth of population has affected the quality of life of the Indian populace. The time has come when future citizens while in educational institutions should understand various issues related to the population problem.
In some places there is no drinking water. People started migrating to cities where they can get some water and work. People will start fighting for food, water and place to live. The birth rate in India (31 per thousand people) is greater than that of China (20 per thousand people). If this trend continues, India will beat up China by 2025 A.D.
Population is a problem wherein various other problems are key factors. These may be a lack of basic education and poor economic conditions. The population problem cannot be solved by clinics alone. The assumption that people have no access to family planning methods is only partly true and in any case is not the root of the problem. Population has remained a problem because EDUCATION continues to be a problem. "
India, the second most populous country in the world, has no more than 2.5% of global land but is the home of 1/6th of the world's population. The prevailing high maternal, infant, childhood morbidity and mortality, low life expectancy and high fertility and associated high morbidity had been a source of concern for public health professionals’ right from the pre-independence period. The Bhore Committee Report (1946) laid the foundation for health service planning in India and gave high priority to provision of maternal and child health services and improving their nutritional and health status.
It was recognised that population stabilisation is an essential prerequisite for sustainability of development process so that the benefits of economic development result in enhancement of the well being of the people and improvement in quality of life. India became the first country in the world to formulate a National Family Planning Programme in 1952, with the objective of "reducing birth rate to the extent necessary to stabilise the population at a level consistent with requirement of national economy". Thus, the key elements of health care to women and children and provision of contraceptive services have been the focus of India’s health services right from the time of India’s independence. Successive Five Year Plans have been providing the policy framework and funding for planned development of nationwide health care infrastructure and manpower. The Centrally Sponsored and 100% centrally funded Family Welfare Programme provides additional infrastructure, manpower and drugs, vaccines contraceptives and other consumables needed for improving health status of women and children and to meet all the felt needs for fertility regulation.
Who is responsible?
Population, if continues to increase at the same rate, it will destroy the country. Lack of initiative by the government together with sleeping people of India, are responsible for this destructive problem. People are not realizing the problem. One day the result will be riots, fighting over food, water. India will be the largest slums creator. All cities will be like fish markets with people everywhere. Traffic will move like the ants party. Everybody will scream, shout, but nobody will listen.
Efforts made so far
Just because they have been ineffective, it does not mean that efforts have not been made so far. Many individuals and groups have put in genuine enthusiastic attempts at curbing this surge in population but due to circumstances beyond their control these have remained largely unsuccessful. The links to some are given below here-
Many have also adopted a healthy childfree by choice lifestyle in India despite the social stigma attached to it. Some notable mentions of the same are-
Failure of Population Control Policies
India is first among the countries which adopted an official family planning programme, as early as 1950. However, fifty years later this has not prevented the population touching the one billion mark. It is obvious that despite good intentions and concerted efforts we have failed in controlling our population. Considering the seriousness of the situation it is appropriate to introspect and ascertain as to what went wrong. The problem, though very complex, can be discussed under two headings:
(i) the available methods for contraception and
(ii) the users.
It is obvious now that there cannot be an ideal contraceptive, suitable for everybody. A careful choice has to be made among the current available methods, depending on the gender, country, socio-religious and cultural practices. According to available information the most accepted methods are the two terminal methods, vasectomy in the case of the male, and tubectomy in the case of the female. These are methods of choice for all those who have completed their family size and to use them is a conscious decision made by the couple. The next most commonly used methods are the barrier methods, still popular in spite of a high failure rate. The other methods such as the use of contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices and injectables are used by a relatively small percentage of the population. It is also evident that except for the barrier method and vasectomy there are no methods available for male contraception, in contrast to the variety of methods available and in use for the female. Does this mean that the available methods are not adequate for the requirements and this inadequacy is the reason for uncontrolled population growth? The answer is firmly in the negative.
The available methods are more than adequate but what is lacking is the will to use them. This brings in the philosophical question as to what is meant by will and why the will is not there. It is for this reason that it was mentioned earlier that the issue of the user is a complex one. The users are both male and female, and with limited options available to the male, the entire burden of limiting the family is shouldered by the female. However, except for a miniscule percentage of the female population, the majority are passive participants in the process with no decision-making capacity. It is in this context that population control was given a new dimension, namely reproductive health, which to a large extent centres around the female. The concept of reproductive health recognizes the diversity of the special health needs of women before, during, and beyond child bearing age, as well as the needs of men and the quality of life of the people involved.
