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India's policy-makers are continuing to exhibit a dangerous sense of complacency in respect of population explosion. This is going to dash to the ground all hopes of India making it to the big league any time soon.

The menacing prospect faced by India of having to carry a burden of more than 1.5 billion by mid-21st century will simply tear asunder its social and economic fabric. Neither the rate of economic growth nor the physical, educational, health and transport infrastructure will be able to measure up to the needs of the growing mass of people.

Already India's institutional capabilities are bursting at the seams. Coping with the requirements of burgeoning numbers is not going to be possible without mobilisation of resources on an astronomical scale; resources of that magnitude are not within sight.

If the country is to avert a disaster in the coming years, it becomes incumbent for the policy-makers to accord the highest priority to put through measures to arrest and reverse the tsunami of population round the corner.

The efforts towards achieving zero population growth (ZPG) are currently diluted and half-baked. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has not had a dynamic or vigorous leadership in recent years.

It must be remembered that population control calls for involving the State Governments in a coordinated effort nation-wide, with the Chief Ministers themselves going the whole hog with the implementation of policies.

Addressing issues relating to population control has essentially to take the form of a massive political campaign at some stage, leading to enforcement of schemes of incentives and disincentives. In addition, religious susceptibilities will also need to be sorted out.

For all these reasons, population control needs to be brought under a special high-powered Ministry with a political heavy-weight as the Minister who will be able to formulate and carry out policies with all the drive and will. The matter brooks no delay.

B. S. RAGHAVAN

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