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There is finally some encouraging news on the population front. For the first time since Independence, the country has added fewer people during a decade compared with the one preceding it.
According to the first set of data from the latest Census, India's total population for 2011 (as on March 1) has been provisionally placed at 121.02 crore, marking an increase of 18.15 crore over the 2001 figure of 102.87 crore.
The 18.15 crore rise is less than the 18.23 crore people added during 1991-2001. That makes 2001-2011 the first decade — with the exception of 1911-21 — to witness a reduction in the rate of population growth in both relative and absolute terms.
Thus, while the country's population rose 2.77 crore during 1921-31, the numbers added went up 3.97 crore in 1931-41, 4.24 crore in 1941-51, 7.82 crore in 1951-61, 10.89 crore in 1961-71, 13.52 crore in 1971-81, 16.31 crore in 1981-91 and 18.23 crore in 1991-2001.
Signs of stabilising growth
The lower absolute growth revealed by the latest Census could well be the precursor to India's population stabilising at around 165 crore by 2060 or so, according to projections by demographers.
This is also suggested by the Census data pertaining to the population in the 0-6 years age group that — again for the first time — has registered an absolute decline from 16.38 crore to 15.88 crore. Since these children would be the parents of tomorrow, their diminishing numbers may contribute to a further population growth slowdown.
The provisional Census results, released here on Thursday, have other positives to offer as well, including improvements in the sex ratio and literacy rates, particularly among females.
The sex ratio — the number of females for every 1,000 males — has recorded an increase from 927 in 1991 to 933 in 2001 and 940 in 2011, with the latter being just a shade below the 941 of 1961. Only three States — Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir and, significantly, Gujarat — have shown a decline over the Census of 2001.
But the improved overall sex ratio masks a rather worrying fall in the child sex ratio, which is the number of females for every 1,000 males in the 0-6 years' age group. This has dropped from 927 in 2001 to 913 in 2011 — the lowest since Independence.
What this indicates is that while the overall female share in the population may have gone up due to better nutrition and access to healthcare, there is still a widespread preference for male children amidst the continuing incidence of female infanticide.
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