HOW TO CONTROL THE POPULATION EXPLOSION

March 24, 2009

Dear Members

Our country needs to put control on the rapid growth of population. I observed not more emphasis has been given on family planning programme for the last two decades. You all know between population and food supply, the balance should be maintained.

The old theory of population (i.e. Malthusian Theory of Population) point out that Population increases at a faster rate than food production. In other words, while population increases in a geometric progression (2, 4, 8, 16, 32), food production increases in an arithmetic progression (2, 4, 6, 8, 10).

The modern theory of optimum population brings out the relationship between changes in population and the consequent changes in per capita income. Optimum population means the ideal population relative to the natural resources, stock of capital equipment and state of technology. There will be an ideal size of population at which per capita output (or real income per head) will be the highest. In other words, optimum population is that level of population at which per capita output is the highest. A country is said to be under populated if the population is less then the optimum and overpopulated if the population is more than the

optimum. And our country comes in the category of over population where per capita income is only 460 $ and population is above 1027 million according to year 2001 data. The rapid rate of population growth affects the economic progress of the country adversely. That is why, it is sometimes said that in India we have to run and run to remain in the same place.

Now the main question is how to control this population explosion in India where no uniform civil code exists. Some of the steps are presented below and I think that all political parties should put in their manifestos some programmes to check the growth of population.

STEPS TO CHECK RAPID GROWTH OF POPULATION

1) Couple Protection Rate (CPR): CPR should be increased, which means the percentage of couples using birth control or family planning methods should go up.

2) Infant Mortality rate (IMR): IMR must be reduced further because when infants die in lesser numbers, there is an incentive to adopt small family norm by the people.

3) Industrialisation of the country: The burden of population on land must be reduced. Cottage and small scale industries must be developed in villages to provide employment to the maximum number of people. This leads to increase in standard of living which acts as a check on population growth.

4) Increase in Female Literacy Rate and Education: The educated people have a better and more responsible outlook towards the size of their families. They can understand the advantages of a small family and adopt family planning methods to reduce the family size. This will help in reducing the birth rate.

5) Late Marriages: Late marriages must be encouraged. At the same time, early marriages must be strictly checked. The minimum age of marriage for boys at 21 years and for girls at 18 years should be strictly followed in real life.

6) Legal Steps: Strict laws must be made and enforced to check early marriages and polygamy.

7) Family Planning: This is the most important measure to check the rapid growth of population. Family Planning means limiting the size of the family. The Family Planning Campaign should be a national movement. Education about family planning must be made common. People must me made aware of the different methods of birth control.

Dr.Y.C.Zala,Anand,Gujarat,India

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November 11, 2013

An very well written article,very helpful

November 12, 2013

According to His Divine Grace Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, it is not the quantity of humans populating Mother Earth which is the problem, it is the quality. The Earth needs quality humans. Children must be taught to bow down before the Lord and saintly persons, they must be taught to chant the Holy Names of the Lord and hear the Holy Books regularly. The same Supreme Personality of Godhead Who has expanded the spiritual and material universes from His own Transcendental Form and is floating all the thousands of stars in the sky, is not at all incapable of supporting all the beings on this and every planet very nicely. This is simple logic. Man has mismanaged what the Lord has provided for us and now man is saying that we need to reduce population which plays very nicely into the determination of the globalists who want to depopulate the Earth through wars, chemtrails, vaccines, flouride, because they have no faith in God. A Godless person has no faith that the Supreme Lord is providing for everyone and with proper management of Godly leaders, everyone will prosper. Godly persons encourage everyone to devote themselves and the fruit of their loins and wombs to service of the Supreme. That will make life very nice for everyone in this life and the next. Hare Krishna.