What is the reason for Indian population growth?

While, on average, the world’s population is on the rise, India’s picture has a much higher upward pace. The growth is much faster than what many expected.

Of course, the reason for Indian population growth, in theories, is plain and simple: more people means more sex, and more sex means more people. This is a cycle that goes on and on.

But aside from this biological reason, there also exist many social influences.

(Courtesy: Hindustan Times)

• One of the biggest challenges in the country is delivering birth-control in rural areas. Yes, there are multiple programs that the government have in action that does provide contraceptive tools to women and men, either for free or at very cheap. However, since government projects, they are, unsurprisingly, plagued with corruption and inefficacy. So, these programs have turned out to be no more than just for namesake.

The large part of the country continues having sex without contraceptives. While there are those who do not worry about pregnancy – even with ZERO family planning – for others the “pull out” method remains quite popular, as is the case even in the USA.

In fact, according to the Health Ministry data in 2016, in the past eight years, the use of contraceptives has declined by almost 35 percent (and abortions of consumption of emergency pills have increased—both of which have side effects in aplenty). This also shows that even when the Government and NGOs can manage to offer condoms to these people, they would still have unprotected sex.

Also read: What will be effect of increasing population in india??

• Sex education remains a taboo in the country. And this is another reason for Indian population growth. **** remains the go-to for teens and adults to learn about sex. And unsurprisingly they find contraceptives quite an obstruction. For this, the “sanskaari culture” that we have should be called out for believing that teenagers and youths don’t need sex education.

And then not to forget the religious angle to this. Religion and its propaganda is one of the reasons for Indian population growth. For instance, it is falsely propagated in Islam that using reversible contraception such are condoms is haram. This is why many Muslims do not use contraceptives.

(Courtesy: Thenational.ae)

In the same breath, keeping in view the growing population of Muslims in the country, the extreme Hindus are propagating the idea of having unprotected sex and giving birth to many off-springs just to match the population growth of the other community. The comment from MP Sakshi Maharaj remains a testimony to this.

These are some of the reasons for Indian population growth. Sure, in the coming years, it’s going to cause many economic and social strains in the country.

However, by 2050, when the world’s population is maxed out at around 10-11 billion, things will get a bit relaxed. The growth trajectory will start a reverse run and the country’s population would go on the decline for one reason or another.