COUNTRY STATEMENT

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COUNTRY STATEMENT
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INDIA

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TRY STATEMENT

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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POPULATION

Mexico City

august 1984

COMMUNITY HEALTH CELL
47/1 St.

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INDIA

COUNTRY STATEMENT

INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE
ON POPULATION
MEXICO CITY
August 1984

Government of India
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
New Delhi

1984

CONTENTS

Sl.No.

Subject

Page

I

An Overview...................................................................................................................

1

II

Demographic Trends and Outlook...............................................................................

3

III

Socio-Economic Development......................................................................................

9

IV

Poverty Alleviation..........................................................................................................

14

V

Migration, Urbanisation and Environment..................................................................

18

VI

Population and Healfh’Policies and Programmes.....................................................

21

VII

Resource Needs and International Cooperation........................................................

31

VIII

Perspectives....................................................................................................................

33

An Overview

NDIA, among the developing countries, pre­
sents a unique case in terms of the sheer size of
its population characterized by extreme heterogenity in respect of physical, economic, social
and cultural conditions. Its population of 685 mil­
lion accounted in 1981 for about 15 per cent of
the total world population with only 2.4 per cent
of total land area. It is the second most populous
country in the world, while it ranks seventh in
terms of land area.

I

India is the largest democracy in the world.
The Republic of India has a federal structure with
a written Constitution. The Union of India con­
sists of 22 States and 9 Union Territories. For the
governance of its affairs, the country follows the
Parliamentary system of Government both at
the Union and the State level. Based on adult
franchise, seven General Elections have been
held so far in 37 years of independence. The last
elections were held in January 1980; 57% of vo­
ters or 202 million adults aged 21 or more exer­
cised their franchise.
India achieved independence in 1947, after
about two hundred years of colonial rule. Soon
thereafter, in 1951, India initiated the process of
planned development to raise the living standard
of its people and to open up for them new oppor­
tunities for a richer and more varied life. The
country is committed to the achievement of rapid
improvement in the quality of life of the people at
large; growth with social justice, modernisation
and self-reliance are the key elements of the stra­
tegy of development adopted for the purpose. In
the mixed economy established by planning for

development, private and public sectors co-exist
and function as parts of a single organism. Un­
avoidably, however, the public sector has to take
a lead in key areas in the larger interests of the
nation.
A number of social and economic institutions
which formed a legacy of the colonial past, have
been transformed and modified in order that
they serve better the social purpose and aims of
planned development. Land reforms aimed at
providing land-ownership to the tiller, ceilings on
land holdings, distribution of land to the landless,
nationalisation of Insurance and Banks are some
of the important examples of institutional
changes. These changes in the institutional struc­
ture have been brought about within a democra­
tic framework and in accordance with the provi­
sions of the Constitution which guarantees to the
citizens of the country:

“JUSTICE, social, economic and political;

LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith
and worship; and
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity” “

The political system so established by the
Constitution leaves no scope for regimentation
of any type. Human liberty and freedom of ex­
pression are zealously guarded by an indepen­
dent judiciary.

The constraints imposed by the choice of de­
mocracy for governance of the country, that is so
" Preamble to the Constitution of India.

death rate of 9 and infant mortality of less than
60. In order to achieve the goal, the National
Family Welfare Programme has been, and will
constantly be, strengthened. It is a voluntary pro­
gramme aimed at educating people on the bene­
fits of the small family, rendering advice to
couples about methods of contraception and
providing a wide range of contraceptive supplies
and services, free of cost, leaving the choice of
the methods to individual couples.
As a commitment to the goal of “Health for All
by 2000 A.D.” through the provision of compre­
hensive primary health care services, the Natio­
nal Health Policy was unanimously endorsed by
the National Parliament in 1983. The policy
emphasises the preventive, promotive and reha­
bilitative aspects of health care and seeks to pro­
vide primary health care services to the popula­
tion even in the remotest areas, particularly the
weaker and deprived sections of society. It clear­
ly spells out the short-term and long-term goals
to be achieved and recognises the need to greatly
strengthen the Mother and Child Health Care
Programme.
In every society children bring parents satis­
faction and pleasure. This is the greatest miracle
of God. Extending pre and post-natal care to
mothers, immunisation of infants against com­
mon child-hood diseases, nutritional supple­
ments for mothers and children are the pro­
grammes designed to increase the infant survival
rate and to give a healthy start to the life of the
new born.
A National Plan of Action for raising the status
of women has been prepared. This plan identifies
the areas of education, health and legislative
measures and social welfare for initiating action
programmes for women and suggests strategies
and measures for improving women’s position in
society.
These are but a few of the relevant examples
of measures that seek to synchronize the goals
of development and population policy. India has
always been of the view that population control
cannot fully succeed without meaningful pro­
gress in development and the progress of deve­
lopment remains partial without effective res­
traint on population growth. Both go together.

vast, so diverse and so heterogenous are quite
obvious. In any case, they render the tasks of
development all the more challenging.
Notwithstanding these challenges, India has
made continuous efforts to build the foundations
of a modern and self-reliant economy in the last
three decades. Removal of poverty and reduc­
tion of social and economic inequalities have
been at the centre of all its policies. The demo­
graphic trends witnessed during the period were
a part of the overall changes generated by deve­
lopment; but it is also true that they in turn have
tended to influence the course of development
itself.
India’s planning process from its very start in
1951 recognised this inter-relationship between
population and the socio-economic develop­
ment: that is, long before the country became a
signatory to the World Population Plan of Action
in 1974. However, since 1974, much greater at­
tention has been paid to the integration of popu­
lation policies into the development process,
which has been increasingly concerned with the
amelioration of the lot of weaker sections of the
community.
We are in the final year of the Sixth Five Year
Plan. A review of the progress of various pro­
grammes indicates that remarkable progress has
been achieved in the several crucial areas, parti­
cularly economic growth, food-grains produc­
tion, resource mobilisation, health and human
development and generation of employment.
The energy sector has also recorded significant
gains. However, because population has almost
doubled during the last three decades, while the
Gross Domestic Product has increased by 209%,
the increase in per capita income has been only
of the order of 53%.
Quite early in course of planning, it was recog­
nised that State intervention was necessary for
the establishment of a mutually beneficial rela­
tionship between population and development
trends. The need has, ever since, been to contain
population growth. After considerable experi­
ence in this regard, the country has set before it­
self the long-term demographic goal of achieving
NRR of unity by 2000 A.D. with a birth rate of 21

2

Demographic Trends and Outlook

2
HE principal aim of any society is to secure
improvement in the quality of life for its
people. Only a sustained effort over a long
period can bring about the desired socio-eco­
nomic transformation. This is at the centre of
India’s development efforts. However, popula­
tion variables greatly influence the development
variables and are also influenced by them. It will,
therefore, be in order to begin by surveying the
demographic scene in India.

Population growth

T

India has had twelve decennial censuses the
first being in 1872. These censuses are the major
source of data on the demographic trends in the
country. According to the latest census of 1981,
the population of India was 685 million while in
1901 it was only 238 million: a near three fold in­
crease. Table 2.1 presents the data of the demo­
graphic trends in the country.

TABLE 2.1: DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS IN INDIA, 1901-1981

Census
year

Total
population
(in millions)

Annual
average
exponential
growth rate
(per cent)

Sex ratio
(females
per 1000
males)

Density
of popula­
tion per
km2

Birth rate
per 1000
population
for the
decade

Death rate
per 1000
population
for the
decade

1901

238.4

—

972

77

—

—

1911

252.1

0.56

964

82

49.2

42.6

1921

251.3

(-) 0.03

955

81

48.1

47.2

46.4

36.2

1931

279.0

1.04

950

90

1941

318.7

1.33

945

103

45.9

37.2
27.4

1951

361.1

1.25

946

117

39.9

1961

439.2

1.96

941

142

41.7

22.8

19.0
15.0

1971

548.2

2.20

930

173

41.2

1981

685.2

2.25

933

216

37.2

3

Since independence there has been a near doub­
ling of the country’s population. The absolute
addition to the population in the single decade of
1971-81 is 137 million. It has indeed been said
that the annual increase in India’s population
exceeds the total population of Australia.

The year 1921 is considered as the ‘great
divide’tn the demographic history of India. Dur­
ing 1911-21, the population of the country was
stable at high mortality and fertility levels: the
birth rate of 48 per thousand and death rate of
47 per thousand. The period from 1921 to 1951
(the first census after independence) was one of
slow but steady growth mainly because of
gradual reduction in mortality.

We may, however, note that the 1981 census
data indicate changes in trends which may be
said to be redeeming; these are:

Thereafter followed the period of rapid
growth. Social and economic developments,
including those relating to public health and
medical care, under the Five Year Plans led to a
rapid mortality decline. During the last three
decades mortality declined by nearly 60 per cent
from 27.4 in 1951 to 11.8 per thousand in 1982,
while expectancy of life at birth had increased
from 32 years to about 50 years in 1974 and
over 55 years in 1982.
This welcome decline in mortality is the result
of the elimination of famines and epidemics.
During the last 3 decades, the country has had
the usual number of droughts but no death from
famine. At the same time plague and smallpox
have been eradicated and malaria deaths have
been reduced from millions to thousands. Health
service coverage has improved the survival
chance of the new born infants and expectant
mothers.

(i)

The acceleration in the population
growth rate witnessed since 1921 has
been arrested.

(ii)

The implied trend in fertility is one of
decline.

(iii)

There is trend of rise in the age of marri­
age.

(iv)

There has been some relative improve­
ment in sex ratio in favour of women and
in female expectancy of life at birth both
of which are suggestive of improved sta­
tus of women.

It is clear from the earlier table that the popu­
lation growth rate has been increasing very
rapidly. There was a four fold increase in the
population growth rate in the first seven decades
of the century: rising from 0.56 per cent in 190111 to 2.20 per cent in 1961-71. The growth rate
since 1951 has been higher than the peak popu­
lation growth rate of 1.5 per cent experienced by
developed countries. However, the population
growth rate in 1971-81 was almost the same as
in the previous decade. Data analysis further in­
dicates that regions with 47 per cent population
have registered significantly lower growth rates
in 1981 inter-censal period compared to the
growth rates evidenced in these regions during
the earlier decade.

For more recent years, data on vital rates are
available from a dual record system called the
Sample Registration System (SRS) introduced in
1965. The SRS estimates of infant mortality rate
for the country as a whole suggest that it has .dec­
lined from 140 per 1000 live births in 1975 to
114 in 1980. Even this rate of infant mortality is
unacceptably high and the health policy lays par­
ticular emphasis on maternal and child health
care precisely in the light of need of and scope for
reduction in infant mortality.
The decline in mortality has resulted in accele­
rated population growth. The annual average
exponential growth rate of population was as
high as 2.25 per cent for the decade 1971-81.

Sex Ratio

In India, the sex ratio (defined as the number
of females per 1000 males) has historically been

4

adverse to females owing to a number of cul­
tural and social factors. There had been a steady
deterioration in this respect over the decades (ex­
cept during 1941-51) as revealed by the decline
in the sex ratio from 972 to 930 during the pe­
riod 1901-71. However, in the last decade, 197181, there has been a slight improvement in this
aspect as shown by an increase in the sex ratio to
933 in 1981. This encouraging feature is likely to
be the indication of the reversal of the long
observed trend of female disadvantage in life
expectancy at birth. It can partly be attributed to
the special maternal and child health care
measures undertaken in recent years.

become clear from the fact that even in a low
fertility profile in next 15 years, the number of
couples in reproductive age-group will increase
to around 170 million from the present level of
123 millions.
Nuptiality Pattern

The social and cultural milieu of India has long
favoured early and universal marriages. The
mean age at marriage for males and females
rose from 20 and 13 years in 1901 to 21 and 15
years in 1961 respectively. However, during the
last two decades the practice of early marriage
has been on the decline. This is reflected in the
1981 census which recorded the mean age at
marriage for males and females at 23.3 and 18.3
years respectively. Further, the percentage of
never married women in rural areas in 1981 was
45 per cent as compared to 41 per cent in 1961.
The relevant figures for urban areas are 50 per
cent for 1981 and 46 per cent for 1961. This can
be attributed to Governmental efforts at raising
the status of women by providing increasing edu­
cational and economic activities. Increase in the
age of marriage for females has favourable impli­
cations as far as the process of fertility decline is
concerned.

Age Composition
■ The percentage of population in the agegroup 0-14 was 41.1 in 1961, 42.0 in 1971 and
39.6 in 1981. The 1981 census age distribution
further revealed a decline in the percentage of
population in the two youngest quinquennial
age-groups: from 14.5 per cent in 1971 to 12.6
per cent in 1981 for 0-4 age group, and from
15.0 per cent to 14.1 per cent for the 5-9 age
group. These changes corroborate the declining
trend in fertility indicated by the SRS estimates
of birth rate which shows a decline of 4 points
during 1971-81 from 37.2 to 33.3 per thousand.
It has been shown by a more detailed analysis
that but for the change in marriage age and
increased use of contraception, the birth rate
would have risen by 1.1 points merely from the
increase in the proportion of married women in
child bearing ages.

Decline in Fertility
The fall in fertility, though not as dramatic as
the one in mortality, had definitely set in during
the early seventies. The birth rate had decreased
from around 49 in 1901-11 to nearly 41 in the
deca.de 1961-71. The comparable SRS estimate
of birth rate was 33.6 in 1982. A number of other
fertility indicators derived from the Sample Re­
gistration System for both rural and urban areas,
show'a similar decreasing trend; e.g. total marital
fertility rate for rural areas had declined from 6.8
in 1972 to 5.4 in 1978 and for urban areas from
6.0 to 4.6. The data also revealed consistent
decline in age-specific fertility rates for all the
age groups as given in Table 2.2 in the next
page.

Even today, the broad-base of the age pyra­
mid of India’s population may be viewed as im­
posing certain constraints in terms of investment
decisions. The dependency ratio (i.e. the number
of persons in the age groups 0-14 and 60 + per
100 persons in age-group 15-59) was 85 in
1981 as against 92 in 1971. Still, the young age
structure of the population holds the potential for
the rapid population growth in the future years
unless special measures for more accelerated
reduction in fertility are taken. This would
5

tion of never married females may explain a part
of fertility decline; but a major part, contributed
by the older age-groups is attributable to the
family planning programme.

TABLE 2.2: AGE SPECIFIC FERTILITY RATES,

1972 AND 1980
Urban

Rural

Age-group

1972

1980

1972

1980

15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49

111.5
260.9
256.8
205.1
142.0
56.3
31.2

94.2
256.4
238.8
176.4
106.5
49.9
21.7

75.5
233.5
237.6

210.5
190.2

175.1
93.8
37.7
15.6

Outlook
64.1

The combined impact of improvement in the
social and economic conditions of people and
the national programme of voluntary accep­
tance of family planning should help to reduce
fertility levels. Programmes focussing on raising
the status of women resulting in higher marriage
age of females, combined with the programmes
aimed at increasing child survival rate should fur­
ther strengthen the trend in fertility decline. It is
expected that the ‘Two Child Family Norm’
would be universally accepted and the size of the
population would be around 950 million by the
year 2000 and the size of the stable population
may not exceed 1300 million. These estimates
are lower than the projection of United Nations
agencies. However, given the political commit­
ment, the prevailing national consensus and the
growing acceptance of family planning by
millions of people, the objective set out above is
not unachievable.

113.7
59.0
23.0

13.9

Source: Sample Registration System Data, 1972 & 1980

The statistics regarding the distribution of
births by birth order also reveal the reduction in
the percentage of higher order births both in the
rural and the urban areas. During the period
1972-78, the percentage of births of order 4 and
above declined from 47 to 38.4 in the rural areas
and from 44 to 33 in the urban areas.
Rise in the age at marriage and in the propor­

6

RATE PER 1000 POPULATION

BIRTH & DEATH RATES IN INDIA
1901-10 to 2000

Socio-Economic Development

3
HE trends in population narrated earlier may
be viewed in the context of the country’s de­
velopment effort which has been guided by the
instrumentality of national planning. For an ade­
quate appreciation of the country’s performance
on the demographic front, it is useful to have a
broad idea of the nature and major thrust of its
development effort.

Saving and investment rates have increased
to 22.7 per cent and 24.2 per cent respectively
from low levels of 10.2 and 10.0 per cent in
1950. The continuity of the planning process has
helped to widen the capital and human resource
bases to a substantial degree. Over the period
from 1950 to 1980, the gross domestic product
(GDP) has increased at the compound annual
rate of 3.6 per cent. During the first 4 years of the
current Plan 1980-83, the economy is estimated
to have expanded at an annual rate of over 5
per cent. It is notable, however, that while the
GDP at constant prices has increased by 113 per
cent during 1960-82, the per capita income had
increased only by 27 per cent. This is the mea­
sure of the drag on economic growth exercised
by the 64 per cent increase in population during
the same period. Despite the challenge of the
drag, the determination of Nation to pursue de­
velopment never flinched; the one indication of
this isjhe increase in national savings measured
as percentage of national income from 13.7 in
1960 to 22.7 per cent.

T

At the time of Independence in 1947, India
was a stagnant and impoverished society
without any economic dynamism. The country’s
national income had been increasing at less than
0.7 per cent per annum during the first half of the
century. Though predominantly an agricultural
country, India had to import about 7 per cent of
its annual food requirements at a consumption
level of 334 grams of cereals per person per day.
Modern industry existed on a nominal scale; fac­
tory establishments employed a meagre 1.8 per
cent of the total working population. Measured in
terms of dollars at their 1973 exchange value, in
1950, India’s per capita income was $ 82 com­
pared to $ 127 for Philippines, $ 210 for Taiwan,
$ 220 for Iran and $ 309 for Brazil.

Agriculture

India’s achievement on agricultural front has
been impressive. The total production of food­
grains increased from about 50 million tonnes in
1950 to an estimated 150 million tonnes in
1983, exceeding 3.3 per cent annual increase.
'■ well above the population growth rate. The limit­
ed land area of the country hardly offered any
■ scope for expanding cultivated area. Increase in
food production during the last two decades is

Since Independence, India has travelled a
long distance on the road to economic progress.
It has achieved self-sufficiency in food-grains,
diversified its industrial structure and has made
significant progress in science and technology.
According to UNESCO’s estimates, India has the
third largest pool of trained scientists and
engineers.

9

mainly the result of the modernisation of agricul­
ture; expansion of irrigation facilities and a
package of improved agricultural practices.
including improved or high-yielding variety of
seeds, chemical fertilisers, pesticides and mecha­
nisation. Irrigation has expanded at a particular­
ly rapid rate during the last decade; this increase
has been from 42 million to 61 million hectares.
In 1982-83, consumption of fertilisers at 6.4
million tonnes was almost three fold higher than
1970 level and high-yielding variety agricultural
production covered an area of about 47 million
hectares. Electricity consumption by Agriculture
Sector increased from less than one per cent (0.8
per cent) in 1960 to 17.8 percent in 1982. This is
yet another index of modernisation of agricul­
tural sector. Gains in agricultural sector have
enabled the country to achieve self-sufficiency in
foodgrains production at a higher level of food­
grain availability of 408 grammes per day per
person, about 25 per cent higher than 1950
level.
Industrialisation

The progress of industrialisation over the last
thirty years has been a striking feature of Indian
economic development. In pursuance of a deli­
berate policy for building up a strong industrial
base, large investments have been made in creat­
ing a wide spectrum of industries. Industrial pro­
duction has gone up by about five times during
this period of thirty years. Apart from the quanti­
tative increase in out-put, the industrial structure
has been greatly diversified, covering almost the
entire range of consumer, intermediate and capi­
tal goods. As a result, the share of manufactured
products in our total imports has steadily
declined; indeed industrial products, particularly
engineering goods, have now become a substan­
tial component of our exports. The rate of indus­
trial growth, however, has not been uniform
during all this period; the average has been
around 6 per cent. The annual average growth
rate of industrial production in three year during
1980-83 period has been 6.9 per cent.
The progress of certain key infrastructure sec­
tors provides an idea of the scale of achieve­

ments of planning in the industrial field. Over the
period from 1950 to 1981. the production of
coal increased from 33 million to 137 million
tonnes; and that of iron ore from 3.0 million to 41
million tonnes; while electricity generation had
increased from 5.3 to 130 billion kwh and the
revenue earning railway freight traffic had
increased from 73.2 to 221 million tonnes. The
more recent quantum jump in the output of
petroleum products has been truly remarkable;
indigenous production of crude oil doubled
during the last two years from 10.5 to 21.1 mil­
lion tonnes in 1982. It recorded further increase
of over 5.1 million tonnes in 1983. The Table 3.1
on next page gives the trend in the production of
selected industries from 1960 to 1982.
The changing character of the national econo­
my is well reflected by the changes in the compo­
sition of the GDP. Comparing 1960-61 with
1981-82. it is notable that the share of agricul­
ture in the country’s GDP had decreased from
52.5 to 38.2 per cent. Correspondingly, the share
of industrial sector had increased from 17.3 to
21.8 per cent; that of the trade transport and
communication and storage sector, from 13.8 to
19.4 per cent; and that of the services sector,
from 8.7 to 11.8 per cent.
This encouraging trend in the composition of
output is unfortunately not reflected in the struc­
ture of the country’s labour force, the principal
reason for this being the rapidity with which po­
pulation and labour force have in fact increased.
India remains, therefore, a predominantly agri­
cultural country with nearly 76 per cent of its
population living in 576.000 villages and 70 per
cent deriving its livelihood from agriculture.
In recognition of this predominantly rural
character of India’s population, the government
has made continuous efforts to extend modern
facilities to the rural population:
320,000 villages have been electrified:
21,500 during last two years.
(ii) Potable water supply is now available in
440,000 villages. Water supply of
100,000 villages arranged in last two
years; there remain 130,000 villages to
be so covered with potable water supply.
(i)

TABLE: 3.1-.PRODUCTION OF SELECTED INDUSTRIES

Name of Industry

Unit

1960-61

1975-76

1982-83'

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Coal (including Lignite)

Million tons

55.7

102.7

137.1

Petroleum (crude)

Million tons

0.4

8.4

21.1

Finished steel

Million tons

2.4

5.8

8.1

Aluminium

*000 tons

18.3

187.3

208.1

Machine tools

Million Rs.

70

1137

2700

Railway wagons

‘000 Nos.

11.9

12.2

15.4

Commercial vehicles

*000 Nos.

28.4

43.8

86.0

Passenger cars & jeeps

‘000 Nos.

26.6

28.9

65.4

Motor cycles & scooters

*000 Nos.

19.4

182.7

399.8

Diesel engines

‘000 Nos.

44.7

135.5

161.0

Power driven pumps

‘000 Nos.

109

275.0

364

Bicycles

‘000 Nos.

1071

2332

4890

Power transformers

Million K.V.A

1.4

13.7

18.8

Fertilizers

‘000 tons

150

1855

4404

Caustic Soda

‘000 tons

101

458

577

Soda Ash

‘000 tons

152

555

635

Paper & paper board

‘000 tons

350

836

1203

Rubber tyres & tubes

Million Nos.

27.3

50.0

56.4

Cement

Million tons

8.0

17.2

23.2

Refined petroleum products

Million tons

5.8

20.8

31.1

Sugar

‘000 tons

3510

4264

8232

Electricity generated

Bln. Kwh.

33.0

79.2

130.1

’ Provisional

11

(iii)

Surface roads with a length of 658.000
kms have been built to link thousands of
villages through modern means of com­
munication.

(iv)

Radio receiving sets have increased ten
fold during 1960-81; from 2.1 million to
21.8 million. Broardcasting outreach
covers 90 per cent of population.

(v)

Number of T.V. transmitter centres have
increased from only 5 in 1974 to 7
centres at present. It is expected that the
coverage will be extended to 70 per cent
of population by March, 1985.

increasing attention as an equally important ob­
jective of planning. According to the 1981 cen­
sus, out of the total population of 685 million,
222 million were the main workers i.e. those who
worked throughout the year. More than 79 per
cent of main workers were males. In addition to
this, there were 27 million marginal workers who
did not work for the major part of the year pre­
ceding the census. Majority of them are women.
Among the main workers, nearly 63 per cent of
males and 79 per cent of females were engaged
in the agricultural sector, while industry provided
employment to only 12 per cent of the male and
about 8 per cent of the female workers. If the
marginal workers are included, about 68 per
cent of the total workers were engaged in the
agricultural sector. The inter-censal comparisons
are difficult; however, it is noticed that the pro­
cess of shift away from agriculture has been slow.

Rapid extension of modern facilities to rural
area serves two purposes. Firstly, it helps in mak­
ing the rural life more attractive and comfortable,
thereby checking the flow of rural population to
urban areas. Secondly, their modernising influ­
ence is known to help decline in fertility. The
latter observation is based on the following
summaries of results of studies (Table 3.2) which
researched this phenomenon.

The unemployment has assumed a serious
proposition in both rural and urban areas; the
problem is particularly severe among the new
entrants to the labour force, especially for the
educated among them. In an agricultural country
like India, the incidence of under-employment
too is equally serious.

TABLE 3.2: CRUDE BIRTH RATE BY AVAILABILITY
OF CERTAIN BASIC FACILITIES IN RURAL AREAS.
INDIA, 1978.

According to 32nd round of the National
Sample Survey, 11 million persons (above age
15) were estimated to be unemployed in 1980.
The net addtion to the labour force was expected
to be 34 million persons during the plan period
(1980-85). Thus, the overall magnitude of em­
ployment to be generated during the period was
of the order of 45 million. The Sixth Five Year
Plan envisaged the creation of 34 million jobs
during the period 1980-81 to 1984-85. It was
envisaged that out of these, about 15 million jobs
will' be provided in the agriculture and allied
sector, about 6 million jobs in the manufacturing
sector and nearly 13 million jobs in the construc­
tion and service sector.

Birth Rate per 1000 popul ation

Facilities
%

With Without

Water Supply
Bus Stand
Railway Station
High/Higher Secondary School
Post Office
Medical Facilities

29.7
31.0
28.3
30.0
31.3
30.2

33.4
33.3
32.7
33.1
33.6
34.6

Labour and Employment
Planning started in India with the objective of
rapid increase in GDP, but with the passage of
time, the problem of employment acquired ur­
gency and so during the late sixties, the creation
of employment opportunities started attracting

Investment required for absorbing 45 million
people in modern manufacturing sector in
India’s context, at a modest rate of about
Rs. 80,000 per worker, would need a layout of

12

expansion of informal trade sector. Though
these measures help to solve the problem to
some extent, it is obvious that in the face of rapid
population growth, the reduction of unemploy­
ment and under-employment pose a serious
challenge and its long term solution warrants
effective policies for achieving a rapid fertility
decline. While promoting fertility decline is at the
heart of India’s long term population policies,
special programmes to create employment
opportunities for the unemployed and the poor is
the immediate high priority concern of national
development policies.

Rs. 3600 billions. India’s Sixth Five Year Plan
(1980-81 — 1984-85) envisaged a total invest­
ment of only Rs. 1587 billion.

Absorption of all the unemployed in the mo­
dern capital intensive sector is unthinkable.
Hence the need for a strategy to create employ­
ment opportunities in areas where capital needs
are low. This has been achieved by accelerating
programmes in rural areas of creating commun­
ity assets through manual labour, promoting
self-employment through transfer of skills and
credit for asset generation and supporting the

13

Poverty Alleviation

4
INCE independence, poverty reduction has
been a fundamental goal of Indian economic
and social policy. Yet, the Sixth Plan estimated
that in 1979/80, around 50% of the entire popu­
lation or nearly 340 million people, lived below
poverty line, modestly defined as monthly per
capita expenditure of Rs. 76 in rural areas and
Rs. 88 in urban areas. Poverty in India is not
related to inequitable distribution: “Non-poor” —
those above poverty line — have a monthly per
capita income of only about Rs. 136 per month.

ments and consequent economic growth have
played a crucial role in poverty alleviation in
India. Since the early eighties, public pro­
grammes specially directed at assisting the poor
have played an important and supportive role.
These can be grouped under three heads:-

S

It is usually accepted that high population
growth exacerbates poverty. A recent analysis of
the developing situation in India, has concluded
that there was no support for the hypothesis that
the distribution of income in India is getting
worse. It has further concluded that the poorest
40 per cent are receiving a gradual but increas­
ing share of total national income and that the
concentration of incomes is declining. The rich in
India are not getting richer. This, however, does
not provide any ground for complacency and the
national policy directly addresses the problem of
poverty alleviation and amelioration in the con­
dition of the weaker sections of the society.

•

Minimum Needs Programme which
widens access for the poor to the basic
social services; education, health, family
planning, water supply, shelter and nutri­
tion, etc.

•

Targetted Assistance for special groups or
areas; Integrated Rural Development Pro­
grammes, National Rural Employment
Programme, Programmes for Backward
classes, Hill Areas and Drought-Prone
Areas.

•

Pricing and Regulatory policies like subsi­
dies on food and incentives to industries
located in backward areas and self­
employment schemes.

Assisting the Poor: Improving Human
Capital

Going back many years, large scale public
investment in agriculture, rural and urban infra­
structure and industry have generated consider­
able benefit for the poor in terms of more widely
available and cheaper food, higher incomes,
employment opportunities and improved access
to modern products and markets. Higher invest­

Government sponsored Minimum Needs
Programme is intended to make certain social
services available to all. The Minimum Needs
Programme recognises the urgency for provi­
ding essential economic and social services to all
the people according to nationally accepted

14

mme attempts to increase the asset base of the
poor directly by assisting them to produce
income generating assets through a mix of subsi­
dies and credit. 8.9 million people have been
benefited under this programme during a span of
three years: 1980-81 — 1982-83. This involved
an investment of over Rs. 21 billion: Rs. 14 billion
credit from public institutions and Rs. 7 billion in
subsidies.

norms within a time-bound programme and
special allocations are earmarked to ensure the
necessary provision of services. Elementary edu­
cation, rural health, rural water supply, rural
roads, rural electrification, housing, assistance to
rural landless labourers, environmental impro­
vement of urban slums and nutrition are the
schemes introduced under this programme. A
total provision of Rs. 58.1 billion was made for
this programme in the Sixth Plan which pres­
cribes specific time-bound targets for establish­
ing these facilities.

The National Rural Employment Programme
(NREP) seeks to use substantial unemployed and
under employed labour in rural areas to create
community assets which are expected to raise
productivity and, in the process, improve the
income of the poor directly and indirectly. This
Programme has provided, on an average, annual
employment for about 1.35 million person years.
In the process this programme has helped to
create community assets which, in turn, will
generate a permanent demand for labour. For
example, a percolation tank that provides irriga­
tion also generates increase of farm-jobs. Other
assets constructed under the programme include
drinking water wells, village schools, health
centres, rural roads, etc. The details of the physi­
cal achievements under NREP: are given in
Table 4.1 in the next page.

Education and health are the two areas which
are important not only from the point of view of
investment in human resource development but
have significant implications in terms of engi­
neering social changes in the desired direction. It
is the first step towards providing some equality
of opportunity to the new boms by seeking to
equip them with good health and atleast elemen­
tary education. Achievements in these two areas
are also crucial from the point of view of changes
in the status of women, which have significant
implications in terms of demographic change,
especially fertility reduction.
The total enrolment in elementary education
has increased from 22.3 million in classes I-V1I in
1950-51, to 99 million during 1982-83. Never­
theless for every three children enrolled in prim­
ary and middle schools, one other eligible child is
left behind. Despite a network of over 0.65
million schools and colleges and employment of
over three million teachers and an annual budget
of the order of Rs. 30 billion, it has not been
possible so far for the educational system to
achieve the goal of universal education for all
children upto the age of 14 years as enshrined in
the Directive Principles of the Constitution. In
1950-51, only 43 per cent of the children in the
age group 6-11 years and 12.9 per cent children
in the age-group 11-14 years, were enrolled in
primary and middle schools respectively. The
corresponding percentages in 1981-82 are 83.7
and 41.9.

Assisting the Poor: Distribution Policies

Direct Taxation offers limited scope for secur­
ing equitable distribution of incomes. Further,
India at its present level of development cannot
afford to set up a social security network for its
poor and unemployed. Similarly, relatively low
income levels do not permit fiscal measures of
direct taxation to provide relief to the poor
through a system of Tax concessions. Under
these circumstances. Government have estab­
lished a vast network of 276,000 Fair Price
Shops which supply the daily necessities of life
like food-grains, sugar, salt, edible oil. cloth and
fuel oil, etc. at subsidised prices. 76 per cent of
these shops are located in rural areas. Subsidies
are also provided to small and marginal farmers
for procurement of seeds and fertilizers for agri­
culture. Irrigation and rural electricity rates are
kept low. In fact, the agriculture sector is hardly

Assisting the Poor: Generating Assets
The Integrated Rural Development Progra­

15

TABLE: 4.1. PHYSICAL ACHIEVEMENTS UNDER NREP (Ref. pre-page)

Units

1981/82

1982/83

Area covered under afforstation and social forestry
works on public lands

ha

103,319

63,492

Drinking water wells, community irrigation wells,
group housing & land development for SCs/STs.

Nos.

90,423

155,635

Construction of village tanks

Nos.

13,709

12,777

Minor irrigation works including those relating to
flood protection, drainage and anti-water logging
works, construction of intermediate and main
drains, field channels and land levelling in the
common area of irrigation projects

ha

105,640

106,244

Soil and water conservation and land
reclaimation

ha

136,964

36,190

Rural road constructed/improved

Kms

73,010

93,335

School & day care buildings, panchayat and
community centres, drinking water wells, drinking
water sources for wild animals, cattle ponds,
bridges, cow sheds, community poultry and piggery
houses, bathing and washing platforms, etc.

Nos.

21,302

62,267

Other works

Nos.

7,276

20,171

Nature of Assets

rural poor is yet another scheme of helping the
poor. 2.4 million households benefitted from this
scheme in two years 1981 and 1982.

taxed. This is due to the belief that increase in
agricultural income leads to poverty reduction.
Government have vigorously implemented
the programme of land reforms. Starting in 1950
with the abolition of proprietory rights and the
programme of giving the ‘Land to the Tiller’ in
1950, there came to be a ceiling on land hol­
dings. Surplus land acquired through a ceiling on '
land holdings has been allotted to 3.1 million lan­
dless farmers thus providing them the scarce ca­
pital for production. The ceiling on urban land
and the programme of providing house-sites to

16

Assisting the Weaker Section: Affirmative
Action.
Government have prepared special plans for
backward classes comprising mainly of Sche­
duled Tribes and Scheduled Castes. The aim of
these plans is to provide members of these
classes substantial assistance to enable as many
of them as possible to cross the poverty line.
During 1980-83, an amount of Rs. 41 billion has

incentives like stipends, scholarships, boarding
grants, etc. to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
Scheduled Caste families are also helped in get­
ting easy institutional finance and more than
500,000 families have so far been given this
assistance. As a part of affirmative action, special
reservation is provided in all levels of Gover­
nment and Public Sector employment as also in
educational and professional institutions in
favour of members of these classes: 15 per cent
for Scheduled Castes and 7-1/2 per cent for
Scheduled Tribes.

been spent on these schemes. In the Tribal areas,
besides providing infrastructure, emphasis is
being given to family oriented programmes.
Multipurpose cooperatives are also being set up
to eliminate money lenders, middlemen, forest
contractors who are known to have been exploi­
ting the Tribals. Similarly, special programmes
aimed at economic betterment of Scheduled
Caste and Scheduled Tribe families have also
been taken up to help families engaged in tradi­
tional occupations like leather works, fishing, etc.
There are also schemes for giving educational

17

Migration, Urbanisation and Environment

5
International Migration

Internal Migration

ISTORICALLY, international migration has
been a valve for releasing national popula­
tion pressures. When faced with a population
situation which created stress on the national
resources, a large number of people from the
now developed countries migrated to the ‘New
World’ including North and South America,
Australia and New Zealand. In more recent
times, when India began to experience similar
population pressures the scope of such emigra­
tion for its enlarging population had already
been severely restricted. The restrictions on
international flows of people do in fact contradict
the philosophy of free market based on free
movements of both labour and capital.

The Constitution of India guarantees freedom
of movement within the country and individuals
as well as families move from one place to
another for a short duration or for permanent
change of residence. The volume of internal
migration computed by the place of last resi­
dence in 1971 was 167 million and the percen­
tage of migrants in the population was 30.5. An
analysis of the total internal migration indicates
that although there is significant rural-urban
migration, rural-rural stream of migration on the
whole, predominates. There is preponderence of
intra-district migration which accounts for nearly
65 per cent of the aggregate of internal mig­
ration. Inter-district migration accounts for about
23 per cent while the inter-state migration, which
can be called long distance migration forms only
12 percent of the total internal migration. As for
the causes of migration among females, marri­
age is the most important because according to
the custom in India, the female lives after marri­
age at the place of her husband. For migration of
males, economic reasons are dominant. The
rural-urban flow is generally the result of popula­
tion pressure and search for employment oppor­
tunities. It has been noticed that migration is
mostly directed towards States with low density
and areas with scope for industrial or a gricultural
expansion. The density of population in India
according to 1981 census (number of persons
per Km2) is 216. The density varies from State to
State ranging from 45 in Sikkim to 655 in
Kerala.

H

International migration, in quantitative terms,
has always played an insignificant role in the
total demographic situation in India. Certain
streams of migration, however, deserve mention
for their qualitative impact. The post-indepen­
dence period witnessed a small but significant
emigration of skilled and semi-skilled man-pow­
er to the Middle-East and Gulf countries. This
out-migration is gradually slowing downin recent
years. On the other hand in the post-indepen­
dence period, there has been some increase in
immigration due to two types of flows viz., the
return immigration of persons of Indian Origin
settled earlier in British colonies and those from
the neighbouring countries. Though numerically
small for the country as a whole, these flows can
cause concern due to their impact on the local si­
tuation in certain border areas. According to the
latest census there were about 8 million persons
in India with place of birth outside India.

Urbanisation
Urbanisation in India has been as old as its
18

These plans emphasised the need to prevent un­
restricted growth of big cities and recommended
regional approach to tackle the problems of
urbanisation. In the Sixth Plan also the same
approach has been adopted and the thrust of
urban policy in the next decade would be to place
greater emphasis on provision of infrastructure
and other facilities in small, medium and other
towns which may act as ‘parking stations’ to
avoid concentration of urban population in few
big cities. Government has also been taking
steps to avoid excessive concentration of
economic activities through a series of policies
including industrial licensing, with emphasis on
appropriate location and the policy of dispersal
of industries. These include priority in licensing
and finance from public financial institutions for
locating industries in backward and non-industrial districts. In addition, fiscal and tax incentives
and subsidies are also provided to counteract the
disadvantages associated with backward areas
and regions. Schemes for environmental impro­
vement in slum areas have also been taken up
in .the successive Five Year Plans.

ancient civilisation. Even in the 16th century, it is
estimated that about a quarter of the total popu­
lation lived in urban areas. During colonial rule
in 19th century a trend of de-urbanisation
associated with decline of indigenous industries
started and the proportion of urban population
sunk to 10.8 per cent in 1901. Thereafter the
trend of urbanisation has been one of increase.
But upto 1941’the process remained slow and
urban population in that year was about 14 per
cent. During the 40’s there was a notable
increase and the urban population reached a
level of 17.3 per cent in 1951. Since 1961, there
has been a continuous upward trend and the
urban population increased to 19.9 per cent in
1971 and 23.3 in 1981.
Although India can still be considered as one
of the least urbanised countries in the world, it
has an urban population of 159 million which is
projected to increase to around 300 million by
2000 A.D. India has some of the world’s largest
cities. There are 218 cities with population above
100,000 and nearly 60 per cent of the urban po­
pulation lives in these cities. The corresponding
percentage in 1961 and 1971 was 50.9 and 56.3
respectively. It is also notable that 26.7 per cent
of urban population lives in 12 big cities having
population of more than 1 million. Included
among the larger cities are Calcutta, Bombay,
Delhi and Madras with 1981 population ranging
from 4.3 to 9.2 million.

Environmental Planning
Excess population and poverty can be regard­
ed as the two biggest "pollutors” of environment.
The ever increasing numbers create pressure on
land, water and other resources. Over-exploita­
tion of the vegetative resources in the catchment
areas of river/valley projects, de-forestation and
soil erosion both leading to siltation of their
reservoirs and increasing frequency and ferocity
of floods are the more outstanding of the conse­
quences of the increasing pressure of numbers
on limited availability of environmental
resources.

The problems that urban India presents are
most acutely felt in largest cities. Apart from en­
vironmental pollution evident in metropolitan
areas, the problems of improving basic needs
and amenities like water-supply, lighting, sewer­
age, drainage, housing and transport are all as­
suming very large proportions and can lead to
explosive situations.

The problems of sanitation are not confined
only to the urban slums but exist in rural areas as
well. This gives rise to various kinds of diseases.
Besides, there are problems of air and water pol­
lution in some highly industrialised cities.

Sufficient focus has been given in the coun­
try’s development plans on urbanisation as an
important aspect of the process of economic and
social development. The need for a balanced
spatial distribution of economic activities was re­
iterated in the Fourth and Fifth Five Year Plans.

Most of these environmental problems arise
as a result of interaction of population with echo­
system. The quality of life depends on nutrition,

19

greatly influenced the rise and fall of civilisations.
Those which could establish harmony with the
environment flourished and others which could
not reckon with the environmental forces
perished. Survival itself depends upon the ability
to cope with the environment.

shelter and energy. An increasing population
has, therefore, important implications for envi­
ronment. which in the ultimate analysis provides
three main ingredients that determine quality of
life. Population growth accentuates the pressure
on the resource base and tends to over-exploit
that base to the extent of greatly reducing its po­
tential. Further, population growth tends to ge­
nerate processes of population re-distribution
which are often dysfunctional to the goals of
development.

It is well understood that natural resources, re­
newable and non-renewable, are finite. These
can support and sustain only a limited life —
human or animal. The capacity of the environ­
ment to provide for a minimum acceptable qual­
ity of life is still more limited.

While there is a genuine concern over the vari­
ous environmental problems in the country it is
being increasingly realised that the development
policy should aim at ensuring mutually reinforc­
ing character of trends in economic, social,
demographic and environmental fields. Planning
for general development should aim at maximis­
ing the positive and minimising the negative in­
fluences of economic growth and social change
on population and environment which taken to­
gether constitute an internally complex and dy­
namic system. Likewise, interventions in popula­
tion ■ environmental nexus should aim at opti­
mising its positive influences on social and eco­
nomic progress.

Historically,

environmental

factors

There is thus a need for each country to exam­
ine systematically its long-term population/resource balance. Such a study could be useful
guide for country’s future population policies.
Unfortunately, the parameters and methodology
for such studies are not yet fully developed. It is,
therefore, necessary to commission well de­
signed studies through an international agency.
The need is in fact, to carry out a global exercise
because in today’s world no country’s environ­
mental problems can be seen in isolation. These
are all inter-connected. There must be an urgent
assessment of the total population that this world
can sustain if its eco-system is to guarantee a
minimum level of living.

have

20

Population and Health Policies and
Programmes

6
munity by educating and involving opinion lead­
ers; (ii) To provide information to every eligible
couple on available contraceptive methods; and
(iii) Provision of contraceptive service facilities in
a socially and psychologically acceptable man­
ner. In this revised approach, the crucial task of
identifying, informing and motivating the eligible
couples for family planning was given to the
Extension Educators and peripheral health
workers, namely, the Auxilliary Nurse-Midwives
(ANMs) for women, and Family Planning Health
Assistants (FPHAs) for men.

Y now, India has accumulated experience of
planning for comprehensive development
lasting more than three decades. Planing process
has been continuous. When it was launched, the
country’s rate of population growth was mode­
rate as high fertility was matched by declining
but as yet very high mortality. It was inevitable
then that measures are taken up as a part of plan­
ning to deal with recurring droughts and epidem­
ics. Simultaneously, it was also explicitly recog­
nised that success in mortality reduction would
lead to accelerating rates of population growth, if
the other component of fertility is not brought
under effective control. Therefore, India’s plan­
ning process since its very inception recognised
the need to reduce the fertility rate through fam­
ily planning programme. The aim was to stabilise
population growth at as low a level as possible.

B

During the 70’s, the extension approach was
consolidated, and the family planning pro­
gramme was fully integrated with public health
programme in the country, especially with the
maternal and child health services (MCH), ope­
rated through Primary Health Centres in rural
areas (initially planned at one for 100,000 popu­
lation) and the Urban Family Planning Centres in
towns and cities (one for 50.000 population). In
recognition of complete integration of Family
Planning and MCH care services, programme
was redesignated as a Family Welfare
Programme.

During the 50’s, a number of family planning
clinics were opened in the country by govern­
ment and voluntary organisations. The empha­
sis during this decade was on providing conventi­
onal contraceptive services through specially
trained female workers at clinics especially for
women. The methods mostly recommended
were diaphragm and jelly and foam tablets for
women, and condoms for men.

The decade 1971-81 witnessed tremendous
efforts in this field. The expenditure on the
programme increased substantially from Rs. 248
million in the Third Plan (1961-66) to Rs. 2844
million and Rs. 5166 million in the Fourth
(1969-74) and the Fifth Plan (1974-79) respecti­
vely.

During the Third Plan period, 1961-66, there
was shift in the programme strategy from a “clini­
cal approach” to an “extension approach”. The
objectives of this change were: (i) Creation of a
group norm of a small family size in every com­

21

COMMUNITY H-Al TH C-’ I
47)1. (Fi.8t Fico,; St. Marks R^d

Bangalore - 560 001.

Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, in 1980 has
restored the credibility of the programme. The
1981 census showing an increase of 137 million
to the population in ten years generated a great
deal of concern in the country. It made Family
Planning a more vital issue than ever before and
helped to create a national consensus in favour
of population control policies. Several State
Legislatures have already passed resolutions
supporting the programme. The programme
gathered momentum so much as to yield a
record level of 14.4 million acceptors during the
year 1983-84.

Soon after the Bucharest Population Confer­
ence, a comprehensive policy was formulated as
a part of a ‘frontal attack’ on the problem of
population. In pursuance of this policy, the mini­
mum age at marriage was raised by law in 1978
to 18 years for girls and 21 for boys. There was
an increased emphasis, backed up with financial
allocation, on providing population education
for all children in the middle and secondary
schools. Representation to Parliament from each
state was frozen upto 2001 AP at levels based on
the 1971 Census population figures. This as­
sured the States with lower population growth
rates that they will not be put to any disadvan­
tage in regard to their representation in the Nati­
onal Parliament. There was also a scheme for
community incentives to villages and towns
which achieved high levels of contraceptive pro­
tection. The policy laid particular stress on the lo­
gistics of the family planning services delivery
system. Accordingly concerted efforts were
made to improve the organisational efficiency of
the programme by making the family planning
personnel responsible for achieving certain mini­
mum levels of performance; this seems to have
paid good returns.

Strategy
India is promoting among its people respon­
sible and planned parenthood through a welldesigned strategy, whose salient features are the
following:

As a combined result of all these measures,
there was a rapid acceleration in the number of
acceptors of Family Planning. The aggregate
number of annual acceptors of different methods
offered under the programme, which averaged
only 0.1 millions for the period 1956-64 had in­
creased to an average of 4.7 million in 1970-75;
thereafter the figure jumped to 6.8 and 12.5
million in 1975-76 and 1976-77 respectively.

Unfortunately at a time when the programme
had gathered momentum in the mid seventies, it
became a subject of political controversy based
on misrepresentations and misinformation, with
the result that a vital element of the national pro­
gramme for progress received a set-back after
1977. The number of annual acceptors showed a
steep decline during 1977-80. (Table 6.1 on
page 25).

However, the lead given once again by the

22

(i)

Adoption of the “Small Family Norm”
is decided by the couples on an entirely
voluntary basis.

(ii)

Intensified efforts are being made to
spread awareness and information
about the small family norm through
more effective and imaginative use of
multi-media and interpersonal commu­
nication channels for disseminating
group specific messages.

(iii)

A wide choice of contraceptives is
offered to eligible couples under the
cafetaria approach, and supplies of con­
traceptives are being increased and
arrangements are made to make them
available at the door-steps of the accep­
tors.

(iv)

The programme is an integral part of
planning for comprehensive develop­
ment which covers correlates of fertil­
ity. In this regard, operational linkages
have been established with other deve­
lopment Ministries/Departments at
Central, State and field levels.

(v)

Facilities and efforts for rapid increase
in female literacy are being continually
expanded.

(vi)

Population education is extended to
youth in schools and colleges as well
as to those out of school. It forms an im­
portant part in all workers’ education
and training programmes conducted
by Government agencies and the orga­
nised sector.

(vii)

Elected representatives of people at all
levels, grass-root level organisations
like village Panchayats, Mahila Mandais (Rural Ladies Clubs), Youth Clubs
and voluntary organisations, etc., are
encouraged to participate in this pro­
gramme.

(viii)

Enforcement of the law relating to mini­
mum age at marriage for girls and boys
is being vigorously pursued.

(ix)

Following an area specific approach,
regions lagging behind in performance
are given greater attention.

Population Policies and Goals

The National Health Policy, approved by the
Parliament in 1983, has enunciated the long­
term demographic goal of the country to be to
reach a replacement level of fertility (or a Net Re­
production Rate of One - NRR=1) by the year
2000 at the lowest feasible levels of mortality as
shown below:
Birth Rate
Death Rate
Infant Mortality
Rate
Effective Couple
Protection Rate
Life Expectancy
At Birth

Given the present demographic situation in
India, it is obvious that fertility goals should be
linked for their realisation to appropriate deve­
lopmental variables. One of the universally
agreed goals of development is the reduction in
the levels of mortality of the population, particu­
larly, infant mortality, leading to a higher expec­
tation of life. That is why the goal is set in terms of
Net Reproduction Rate (NRR).

Health Policies
The National Health Policy also lays down an
integrated and comprehensive approach to­
wards the future development of health services
in the country including family planning services.
The Policy is aimed at providing 'Health For All’
by 2000 AD as recommended in Alma-Ata-Declaration through primary health care approach.
The stress in the National Health Policy is on the
provision of preventive, promotive and rehabili­
tative health services to the people — represent­
ing a shift from medical care to health care and in
short, from the urban to the rural population.
This includes substantial augmentation and pro­
vision of primary health care facilities and family
welfare services on an universal basis in every
village, town and urban community; acceleration
of programmes for the welfare of women and
children, including family planning; control of
leprosy, T.B. and blindness; nutrition pro­
grammes for pregnant women, nursing mothers
and children, especially in the more remote hilly
and backward areas. Quantitative targets have
been fixed for each of these areas.

Programme Organisation

As noted earlier, the Family Planning Progra­
mme, from its very inception, has been imple­
mented as an integral part of the public health
programme, especially of maternal and child
health services. At the Centre, it is located within
the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and at
the State level within the Directorate of Health
and Family Welfare services.

— 21 per thousand
— 9 per thousand
— Below 60 per thousand
live births
— 60 per cent
— 64 years

The formulation of above demographic goal

23

in terms of net reproduction rate has created the
need for a closer integration of family planning
services with the health services and concerted
efforts are taken up to achieve this at all levels
right upto the peripheral field level.

in addition to family planning education.
motivation, and supplies and services
in spacing method*. There are over
70.000 sub-centres in the country and
their number will increase to about
120,000 by 1990. One male and one
female Health Supervisor provide
support and assistance for every four
sub-centres.

Constant efforts are being made to expand the
network of Health and Family Welfare Services
to carry them to the door-steps of the people.
These include:
(iv)

(i)

With a view to provide liaison between
the community and health services net­
work, a Village Health Guide functions
in each village or within a population of
one thousand in larger villages. About
400.000 health guides are already
working. Health guides are selected by
communities from amongst themselves
and preference is given to females.
These voluntary workers have been
trained for a period of three months and
arrangements for continuous training
are in-built in the Village Health Guide
Scheme. The village health guides also
promote small family norm and the use
of contraception.

(ii)

Deliveries by trained health personnel
in hygienic and aseptic conditions are
critical in reducing the maternal mortal­
ity and infant mortality. Most villages in
the country have traditional birth atten­
dants who are customarily handling
deliveries in their areas. A scheme to
train these traditional birth attendants
to upgrade their skills has been laun­
ched and till now over 4,60,000 birth at­
tendants have been given the training.

(iii)

Health Sub-Centres are being estab­
lished for every three to five thousand
population. These are manned by a
team of one qualified male and one
female (paramedic) health worker. They
look after the primary health needs of
the community. They also provide ma­
ternal care and immunization services

24

There are 6250 Primary Health Centres
(PHCs), one for every 100,000 popula­
tion. Each PHC has three medical offic­
ers (including one Lady Medical Offic­
er) to provide curative and clinical ser­
vices, including MTP and they super­
vise and guide family planning pro­
gramme performance. The team of me­
dical and para-medical personnel at the
PHC level have been trained well in all
the family planning methods, including
sterilisation, follow-up care and treat­
ment of complications when they arise.
This net-work of medical services will
be strengthened by opening new onedoctor Primary Health Centre for every
30/20 thousand of the population.
Existing primary health centres will be
upgraded as referral, consultative and
supervisory centres with the addition of
more beds and specialist services. At
the apex of the pyramid of health ser­
vices are the distrcit level (412) and
state level referral services. There are
106 medical colleges which impart
medical education and also provide spe­
cialist services and help, supervise,
guide and train the personnel at lower
levels.

National Institute of Health and Family Wel­
fare is the apex level institute for planning and
carrying out training programmes. Training insti­
tutions have been established, down the line at
State and District levels and number about 426.

Research

People in India have responded well to lapa­

beings and has to take account of their social,
cultural and emotional responses to ongoing
activities and new components that may be intro­
duced. It is all the more important in the context
of a country of India’s size.

roscopic tubectomy and.copper-T Intra Uterine
Device. However, the research for simpler regim­
ens continues. There is a need to find more effec­
tive and safe formulations to impart long lasting
immunity to men and women. These contracep­
tives should be inexpensive, easy to use and wi­
thout harmful effect. Coordinated Research in
contraceptive methods and human reproduction
is carried out through a net-work of research
organisations/centres under the guidance of
Indian Council of Medical Research. Anti-preg­
nancy vaccine for women, male contraceptive
drugs, reversible male and female sterilisation
methods are some of the important leads which
are being vigorously pursued by the research
community in India.

Sixteen population research centres have
been established in universities all over the coun­
try with a view to carry out operational research
relating to supplies and services communica­
tions, knowledge, attitude, acceptance and other
demographic and psycho-social factors. Interna­
tional Institute of Population Sciences, Bombay
is a leading institute in this field. It imparts higher
level education in Population Sciences and also
carries out research. Private service and/or re­
search organisations are also engaged for specif­
ic research tasks; these include the Family Plan­
ning Association of India, which is affliated to
IPPF and the Family Planning Foundation of
India.

Any successful programme needs a continu­
ous back-up support of operational research.
Family welfare programme is mind-boggling in
its complexity since it addresses itself to human

Programme Impact
The following table provides data on the progress of Family Planning Programme;
TABLE 6.1: NUMBER OF FAMILY PLANNING ACCEPTORS, COUPLES EFFECTIVELY PROTECTED AND
BIRTHS AVERTED: (Refer page 22)

Year

1956-64
1965-70
1970-75
1975-76
1976-77
1977-78
1978-79
1979-80
1980-81
1981-82
1982-83
1983-84

No. of acceptors
annual
(million)

Couples
protected
No.
(million)

0.1
2.8
4.7
6.8
12.5
4.5
5.5
5.5
6.5
8.1
11.0
14.4

1.0
8.6
15.3
17.8
25.3
24.6
25.0
25.4
26.4
28.2
31.4
36.2

(average
for the
period)

25

Percentage

Births averted
cumulative
(million)

1.2
9.4
14.9
17.0
23.6
22.5
22.3
22.2
22.7
23.7
25.9
29.2

0.3
4.9
17.5
20.6
24.3
29.4
35.3
39.2
44.2
49.2
54.7
60.7

From the Table 6.1 it can be seen that as of
April 1984 29.2 per cent or 36 million of the
couples in the reproductive ages were effectively
protected by the programme. More than 80 per
cent of this protection came through sterilisation.
Since the inception of the programme, sterilisa­
tion has been a popular method of contraception
preferred by the couples in the country. As of
April 1983 the total number of males who had
received sterilisation services were 25 per cent
higher: 22.4 million males and 17.8 million
females.

large scale. Here the emphasis is on the use of Intra-Uterine devices like Copper T, low dosage
oral pills and condoms. Of late, there has been a
dramatic increase in the numbers of IUD accep­
tors from 0.6 million in 1980-81 to 2.1 million in
1983-84. Even though the number of pill users is
only 0.5 million, there was a three-fold increase
in their number in 1983-84 over the previous
year. 7.3 million couples use condoms and this
number shows an increasing trend.
India does not permit abortion as a means for
fertility regulation. However, from 1972
onwards, Medical Termination of Pregnancy has
been allowed as a part of health care facility for
pregnant mothers on health and related socio­
cultural considerations. Primarily this facility is
permitted to save from health hazards the mil­
lions of women who take recourse to clandenstine abortions by ill-qualified doctors or quacks
in unhygienic and aseptic conditions. We believe
that child bearing should be a joy, not a burden;
and since it is the mother who bears and rears the
child, we are concerned not only with her health
but with her will and well being. There were just
about 0.5 million recorded abortions last year
compared to 22 millions babies born in the
country.

In the earlier years, vasectomy or the male ste­
rilisation was more popular but since the intro­
duction of mini-lap and laparoscopic tubectomy
five years back, the female sterilisation has been
gaining wider popularity. Performance in family
planning acceptance and couple protection is
not uniform throughout the country. Couple pro­
tection level in five States exceeds 40 per cent, in
10 States it is between 29 and 40 per cent, while
in the remaining States and Union Territories it is
below the national average of 29.2 per cent. The
problems of low performing States are being in­
tensively studied with a view to removing the
bottlenecks.
Emphasis on Spacing Methods

Table 6.1 on page 25 shows that till the end of
March 1984, the programme has averted about
61 million births: roughly equal to the 1982 com­
bined population of Egypt (44.3 millions) and
Peru (17.4) or that of Burma (34.9) and Colum­
bia (27) put together. The programme imple­
mented during 1983-84 has the potential to
avert about 11.2 million possible future births.

Studies show that more infants die if the pre­
ceding birth interval is less than two years. Short
birth interval also affects the older child; curtail­
ing breast-feeding and maternal attention
exposes him to higher risks of morbidity and
mortality. Short spacing may lead to maternal
depletion and is a likely explanation for low birth
weight generally associated with higher order
births beyond 4 or 5. This is supported by the fact
that infant mortality is found to increase with
birth order.

Thirty seven million births were averted in
1971-81. But for the success of this programme,
India’s population during the decade would have
recorded a 3 per cent annual growth rate. This
would have further exacerbated our social and
economic problems. Hypothetical size of India’s
stable population projection would have under­
gone a radical change: Stable population size of
over three billion people compared to 1.8 billion
projected by the World Bank and 1.3 billion level

Keeping in view the importance of birth inter­
val for child survival and mother’s health as well
as the contraception needs of younger couples
who have not yet achieved the family size norm,
the Government has recently initiated a delibe­
rate policy to promote spacing methods on a
26

NUMBER OF COUPLES EFFECTIVELY PROTECTED DUE TO FAMILY PLANNIN6
1970-71 to 1983-84

YEARS

Opinion Leaders, especially elected representa­
tives of the people, from the level of village coun­
cils all the way up to the National Parliament are
encouraged to participate actively in the family
welfare programme. Motivation and training
camps, where such leaders can get together for
discussion, is an important extension education
strategy. So far, 130,000 camps have been
organised and approximately 5 million
influential individuals have participated in these
camps.

at which we wish to stabilise. All this can be attri­
buted to the success of India’s population pro­
gramme.

In terms of fertility decline, the programme
has made a significant impact on the population
since 1966. The crude birth rate has declined by
about 8 points in 16 years, from 41.2 per thou­
sand population in 1966 to 33.6 in 1982. During
the years 1977 to 1981, the birth rate levels have
stagnated around 33 and this coincides with the
period of poor programme performance during
1977-80. However, with the increasing momen­
tum of the programme, CPR increasing by 3.3
points in 1983, it can be expected that future dec­
lines in fertility may be more rapid. The decline of
8 points in the CBR in 16 years may not be as
rapid as the declines achieved in a few other
developing countries. However, even this level of
performance has enabled India to keep its popu­
lation growth rate at a level lower than the peak
levels of around 3 per cent reached by many
other developing countries. The 0.5 per cent
annual average fertility decline recorded over
the last 16 years compares favourably with the
experience of developed countries where fertility
declined at an average of 0.3 per cent and at a
much higher income level.

Coercion of any type is not used in India’s po­
pulation programme. There is no way to enforce
the desired family size for a couple. Acceptance
and use of family planning is promoted by moti­
vation and education regarding the benefits and
advantages of small family norm, community in­
volvement and provision of supplies and services
of good quality.

Mother and Child Health

Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services play
an important role and constitute a vital compon­
ent of the family welfare programmes. These ser­
vices contribute to better health and better
chances of survival of mothers and children. We
are pledged to provide basic health care facilities
like, safe and aseptic delivery and immunization
of children against childhood diseases. The table
6.2 on next page indicates the present reach and
level of mother and child health care pro­
grammes.

It is to be realised that the Indian programme
of family planning is a wholly voluntary imple­
mented in a democratic framework with the free­
dom of choice to couples on the number of child­
ren they wish to have. Government have stead­
fastly refused to enact legislation to limit family
size even though some Parliamentarians have
been introducing Bills aimed at regulating the
family size.

India being a vast country with inadequate in­
frastructural facilities, it may take some time to
provide the full package of services to every child
and expectant mother. We aim at providing uni­
versal immunisation by 1990. This would, how­
ever, present an enormous problem in logistics,
supplies and trained manpower. Performance
levels will have to double and triple before we
can reach this objective.

In India, family planning is purely voluntary. It
needs the participation of millions of men and
women. The aim is to conduct this programme as
a PEOPLES’ MOVEMENT with the active invol­
vement of voluntary and non-governmental
organisations. A favourable climate in support of
small family norm is sought to be created with
the help of mass media, folk media and inter-per­
sonal communication by trained personnel.

As a part of this strategy, an Integrated Child
Development service (ICDS) Scheme is being
implemented in 856 blocks out of 5242 blocks in
the country. ICDS package of Services include

29

1984 is given below:

supplementary nutrition, immunization, health
check ups and referral services to children below
six years of age and expectant and nursing moth­
ers, non-formal education to children and nutri­
tion and health education to women. Growth of
children in these blocks is monitored on a regular
basis. The number of beneficiaries receiving sup­
plementary nutrition in ICDS blocks as in May

Children aged below 3 years
— 1.89 million
Children aged 3-6 years
— 2.46 million
Expectant and lactating mothers— 1.07 million
It is planned to expand the coverage of ICDS to a
much larger number of blocks in the next five
years.

TABLE 6.2: COVERAGE UNDER M.C.H. PROGRAMMES. 1983-84 (Ref. pre-page)

Programme

Achievement
(million)

Percentage increase
over last year

10.84
7.71
13.96
10.31
7.96
5.94

+ 17.6
+ 91.8
+ 0.2
+ 11.4
+ 14.5
+ 34.2

15.57
14.19

+ 8.0
+ 11.1

15.48

- 13.9

Immunisation
DPT
Polio
BCG
DT.
TT (Pregnant women)
Typhoid
Prophylaxis against anaemia
(Iron-Folic Acid Tablets)
Mothers
Children
Prophylaxis against blindness
due to Vit.’ ‘A’ deficiency

30

Resource Needs and International
Cooperation

gramme. Such assistance is available in the
form of cash, commodities, etc. and is governed
by the Agreements between India and the donor
agencies. The names of such agencies and the
projects being funded by them are given below:

NTERNATIONAL cooperation in the field of
population is relatively a recent phenomenon.
Some years ago, there was a great deal of oppo­
sition to support activities related to Family Plan­
ning and Population Policy on various grounds,
such as, religious, cultural and political. This
resistance was not only evident in the donor
countries but also in countries requiring popula­
tion control programmes. Before the 70’s inter­
national cooperation in the population field
existed in a small way mainly in the form of some
fellowships and advisory services on population
statistics and analysis. Cooperation in a mea­
ningful sense started in the mid-70’s after the
World Population Conference at Bucharest in
1974. Following this World Conference, the
levels of international assistance for population
activities have increased but the total volume of
assistance has remained much below the target
of one billion dollars a year. In fact, the growth
rate of increase in population assistance has
slowed down in recent years when the need for
such assistance is the greatest.

I

Area Projects in Bihar and
Rajasthan, support to clinical
services, supply of Laparoscopes,
Copper T (IUD), raw materials for
Oral Pills and Condoms; and sup­
port to organised sector projects.
UNICEF: MCH Programme through medical
colleges and immunisation
programme.
WORLD India Population Projects in
BANK:
Andhra Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh,
Karnataka and Kerala States.
W.H.O.
Support for MCH and reproductive
research programmes.
DANIDA: DANIDA assisted Area Projects in
Madhya Pradesh. Tamil Nadu and
support to NIH & FW.
NORAD: Post-Partum Programme
ODA(UK): ODA (UK)-assisted Area Project in
Orissa and supply of Laparoscopes.
SIDA:
High Potency Vitamin ‘A’ Capsules
and other assistance for MCH
Programme.
USAID: USAID assisted Area Projects
in Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat,
Himachal Pradesh and Maharash­
tra, support to progressive
voluntary organisations, Contra­
ceptive Marketing Organisation and
research in human reproduction.

UNFPA:

UNFPA is the leading UN agency for provi­
ding assistance for population programmes.
According to their figures during 1979-81, they
budgeted one dollar for every four dollars pro­
vided in different countries’ budgets. UNFPA
assistance to India during these years was at a
much lower level. During 1979-81 they provided
$ 23.5 million against $ 556.3 million spent by
India on the programme: one dollar for every 24
dollars spent by India.

Besides UNFPA, India is receiving assistance
from various International Agencies and deve­
loped countries for the Family Welfare Pro­

31

The need for the 1985-90 plan period has
been projected at $ 6.4 billion compared to $ 1.4
billion in the current plan. Investment needs of
other developing countries, which aim at con­
taining population growth, may also similarly
increase. It is hoped that the international
understanding forged at Mexico would ensure
that constraint on resources is not allowed to
stand in the way of effective and efficient popula­
tion programmes.

The per capita expenditure on family welfare
is about Rs. 4/- per year (US 40 Cents) in 198283: one of the lowest in the world. Enhanced
investments in the programme would be ines­
capable. Services and supplies have to be
expanded rapidly to meet the rising demand
generated by increasing acceptance of contra­
ception — about 25 per cent per annum — and
also to meet the needs of 22 million young
couples who will enter the reproductive agegroup by 1990.

32

Perspectives

8
NDIA is committed, through a written Constitu­
tion, to a social system squarely based on
democracy, secularism and socialism. The roots
of these ideals lie deeply embedded in the long
cultural history of the country enriched by a
great variety of cultural ethos of the people that
make up the present population characterised by
‘unity among diversities’. This system has served
the country well in the period since Indepen­
dence in 1947. When, soon after independence,
we embarked upon planning for comprehensive
development, the tasks of nation-building
appeared stupendous. But they have been pur­
sued with vision and courage. The course of
development during this period has not been
easy. Apart from the rapid growth of population
and the proverbial weather conditions genera­
ting uncertainties for agriculture, the process has
been subject to unforseen disturbances arising
from the course of events in the international,
political and economic conditions. The nation
adjusted its policies and programmes to these
repeated changes. In order to do so, a measure of
flexibility has been retained in the logistics of
planned development without involving any
compromise on the fundamentals of the social
system and in the long-term goals of national
progress formulated for the planning for deve­
lopment.

mulation of its plans for socio-economic transfor­
mation and Health & Human resources develop­
ment. It also recognises that effective integration
of development and population is facilitated only
when its benefits are widely shared by the more
disadvantaged groups in the population. The
Bucharest World Population Plan of Action,
while accepting that population growth should
be contained, emphasises the need for socio­
economic development. Experience of the last
decade has made it more than clear that develop­
ment must deal simultaneously with economic
expansion and social transformation, population
and environment in order to secure all-round
improvement in the quality of life. India’s deve­
lopment process fully recognises these inter-lin­
kages.

Considerable experience has been gained in
the process with regard to both population and
economic development. India has from the very
beginning included a policy for containing popu­
lation growth as an important element in the for­

Gross National Savings, as a percentage of
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased
from 17.3 per cent in .1971 to 22.7 per cent.
This rapid increase in national savings rate at
India’s low-percapita income, is an evidence of

I

Our socio-economic development efforts aim
at promoting a system which enables every indi­
vidual to have the fullest opportunity of develop­
ing his maximum potential. This calls for a rapid
economic expansion to the extent of resource
availability. During the last 4 years, Indian eco­
nomy has grown at 5 per cent annual growth rate
compared to an annual growth rate of around
3.5 per cent in the 70’s. This suggests a higher
growth trend in the 80’s.

33

country's determination towards building a selfreliant economy. Even while the investment rate
has increased to 24 per cent of GDP, about 94
per cent of the cost of investment programmes
has been met from national savings.

Programme, Programmes for Backward
Classes, Hilly Areas and Drought-Prone
Areas.
Pricing and Regulatory policies like
subsidies on food and incentives to
industries located in backward areas and
self-employment schemes.

India's achievement in agricultural sector has
been impressive. Foodgrains production record­
ed a three-fold increase in the last 33 years from
50 million tonnes in 1950 to an estimated 150
million tonnes in 1983-84. Annual growth rate
of foodgrains production exceeded 3.3 per cent
well above the population growth rate. Simulta­
neously, large investments have been made in
creating a wide spectrum of industries and
industrial production has recorded a five-fold in­
crease in the same period. The industrial sector
has been gradually diversified covering almost
the entire range of consumer, industrial and capi­
tal goods. A significant capability has been built
in crucial areas of high technologies like elec­
tronics and nuclear and space technology.
Country has the third largest pool of Scientists
and Engineers.

The guiding principles for India’s future deve­
lopment plans should continue to be growth,
equality, social justice, self-reliance, improved
efficiency and productivity. It is equally well
recognised that gains of development in last
three decades have been greatly eroded by rapid
population growth and that our success in
improving the ‘quality of life’ will greatly depend
on the nation’s ability to stabilise its population
at a manageable level.

India’s population was stable during 1911-21.
The birth rate of 48 per thousand just about
matched the death rate. Millions of people were
then dying of hunger and disease. Socio-eco­
nomic development since Independence, has
brought about a dramatic decline in mortality
from over 27 per thousand to less than 12.
Corresponding reduction in the birth rate has not
taken place, nor could it have been expected to
occur if one were to bear in mind the low level of
socio-economic development obtaining during
these years. With the gradual and steady socio­
economic progress and the fast changing percep­
tions of the people, a stage has now been
reached when the fertility decline may be faster.
The journey towards a stable and healthy popu­
lation, which started some years ago, now has
reached a point where the ultimate goal is visible
and appears within reach. The country has set a
goal of reaching the Net Reproduction Rate
(NRR) of unity by turn of the century and the
population size then is expected to be of the
order of 950 million with a birth rate of 21 per
thousand and death rate of 9. Thereafter, the
process of population stabilisation should com­
mence and population is expected to stabilise at
around 1300 million by middle of next century.
World population is expected to stabilise at

Improvement in the quality of life of the poor
and the weaker sections of the community are
the key elements of the country’s development
programmes and policies. The poorest 40 per
cent in India are receiving a gradual but increas­
ing share of total national income and concentra­
tion of incomes is declining. This, however, does
not provide any ground for complacency and the
national policy directly addresses the problem of
poverty alleviation. Public programmes have
been specially designed with a view to directly
assist the poor, e.g.

•

Minimum Needs Programme which
widens access for the poor to the basic
social services: education, health, family
planning, water supply, shelter and
nutrition, etc.

•

Targetted Assistance for special groups or
areas; Integrated Rural Development
Programmes, National Rural Employment

34

about 10.5 billion in 2110 A.D. (medium vari­
ant). India’s population today forms about 15 per
cent of the World’s population, and it may be
around 13 per cent of the projected stable World
population.

tion. The immediate goals are to reduce poverty
and fertility which again are inter-dependent.
India accords the highest priority to the task of
reducing poverty and a number of programmes
have been launched to assist the poor with a view
to improving human capital, generating an asset
base for them and to make available the necessi­
ties of life at prices they can afford. These pro­
grammes are being vigorously pursued through
a system of State subsidies and credits and free
availability of education, health and other social
services.

The birth rate in developed countries declined
with the gradual and continuing improvement in
the standards of living. But, in the developing
countries, high fertility can outstrip the efforts to
foster prosperity. It was in recognition of this fact
that India launched an official Family Planning
Programme to promote decline in birth rate. Fer­
tility is an intensely personal matter and requires
a continuous and careful approach. Experience
has, however, shown that knowledge of family
planning methods, adequately supported by ser­
vices and supplies, hastens the process of fertility
decline even in situations of under-development,
illiteracy and lower level of per capita incomes. In
India, Family Planning Programme is purely
voluntary. It is being promoted as a people’s
movement through maximum community parti­
cipation by educating people about the benefits
of ‘Small Family Norm’. Couples are provided a
wide choice of contraceptives. There is no coer­
cion and couples make their decision according
to their inclination.

As of today, India has a population of around
730 million, a death rate of about 12 per thou­
sand, an infant mortality rate of about 114 per
thousand live births and a birth rate of about 32
per thousand population. Its age pyramid is a
harbinger of tremendous growth potential. The
grimness of the situation cannot be denied but
there are hopeful signs as well. Fertility decline
has been firmly established in many parts of the
country and is spreading to others; family plan­
ning acceptance has picked up in more recent
years and there is enough evidence that a large
measure of latent demand for contraception is
surfacing; a determined movement has been
generated for the improvement in the status of
women and planning has accorded special
importance to upgrade the role of women in the
development process and, above all, infant mor­
tality has at last started moving down at a reason­
able pace.

The Indian Population Programme has avert­
ed about 61 million births till the end of March,
1984; roughly, equal to the 1982 combined
population of Egypt (44.3 million) and Peru (17.4
million) or that of Burma (34.9 million) and
Columbia (27 million) put together. The pro­
gramme implemented during the year 1983-84
has the potential to avert over 11 million pos­
sible future births. In terms of fertility decline, the
programme has made a significant impact on the
population since 1966. The crude birth rate has
declined by about eight points in 16 years. But
for the success of this programme, India’s popu­
lation during the decade would have recorded a
3 per cent growth rate. Estimates of the projected
size of the India’s stable population would have
undergone a radical upward revision.

With planning according a greater role to the
local level communities in the formulation of
plans and programmes especially in the fields
that influence social and economic co-relates of
fertility decline and mounting a direct frontal
attack on mass poverty, there is every reason to
be confident about the demographic goals that
the Nation has set for itself. India’s confidence of
achieving NRR of 1 and ‘Health For All By 2000
A.D.’ rests not merely on the effective pursuit of
policies directly influencing the birth and death
rates, but also on the re-orientation that is being
imparted to the development process in order to
expand people’s participation; to improve and

India’s long-term goals are: Improved stan­
dards of living and a stable and healthy popula­
35

upgrade the status and role of women in society;
to socialise the new generation through educa­
tion, training and nutrition programme; in a
manner that not only improves their productivity
but also prepare them for responsible paren­
thood, to preserve local ecological systems and
enhance their resource potentials; and above all,
to eradicate the curse of poverty through pro­
gramme specifically directed towards this very
objective. The whole of planning strategy has but
one purpose; to rapidly improve the quality of
life for the people in general and for the poor and
under-privileged in particular.

The country is committed to the cause of
human progress. Its achievement would be
greatly facilitated by a more congenial internati­
onal environment and a climate of peace all­
round. International cooperation will speed up

the processes of development and so also that of
population stabilisation. Aid plays a welcome
role but its uncertainties need to be removed
and its scale needs to be enlarged.

It is, however, the context of national develop­
ment that promises the realisation of the coun­
try’s demographic goal for the year 2000. The
country’s population may then be around 950
million. But it will still have a large potential for
growth. By that time, the country will be well
ahead on the path of self-sustaining and self-reli­
ant economic growth and should be able to
achieve the desired level of stablisation of popu­
lation around the middle of the 21st century. In
the ultimate analysis, the success depends on
replacing hope for despair and commitment for
complacency.

Designed and produced by the Mass Mailing Unit, Department of Family Welfare,
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi 110002.
Printed at Ajanta Offset & Packagings Limited, Delhi 110052.
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