In every decade, the Indian population increases by about five cores. Now it has reached about 105 core mark and will grow to approximately 140 crore by 2025 AD.
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Indeed the predictions made by the great economic Malthus, apply in latter and spirit to the case of India. As science is progressing the death rate is falling due to better medical facilities. There is acute shortage of necessities of life because of this tremendous increase in population. We must lower down the birth rate and keep the population under control. The need of family planning for our country is very great.
Even after fifty years of freedom we are facing an acute shortage of essential commodities. Our people do not get even two full means a day. Thousands of people pass their nights on the footpaths. They do not have any shelter of their own. Further, there is widespread unemployment in the country. We cannot improve the condition of the masses without limiting the size of the family. To have a big family is a curse. The size of the family directly affects the economic standard of that family. Small families have better standard of living. So the families must be planned. Let the people have children only by choice and not by chance.
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Many methods have been suggested for keeping the population under control. It is the age of science. There are many scientific methods of family planning. Operations, medicines and other devices can be much help to the people in this respect. One of the devices is the ‘loop’. Experiments with it have achieved remarkable success. Contraceptives like ‘Nirodh’ are also very helpful. These methods are also very effective and free from injurious effects.
Some people are against the use of scientific methods. According to them these methods lead to corruption. They suggest the use of natural methods. People should marry late. Postponement of marriage reduces the birth rate. People should exercise self-restraint in their married life. Such natural methods are useful from the point of view of health and morals. But they are not practicable on a large scale.
Ignorance in the root cause of all evils. Ignorant people generally have a large number of children. They believe it to be the business of God to bestow as many children on them as He likes. They do not want to interfere with the work of God. This wrong notion must be uprooted from the masses. By educating them we can help them to realize that they can control their families in different ways.
Once the people begin to realize the need and importance of family planning, there is not reason why we shall not achieve success. various methods are available for us. We may apply whichever method we like best. No single method can take us far ahead. All our efforts must be made to limit the size of the families.
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On the part of the government, intensive efforts have been made in this direction. Birth control devices like ‘nirodh’ were supplied free to the people. Sterilization was encouraged through monetary incentives. February 1976 was celebrated as the family planning month. As a result, public opinion in favor of smaller families has been gradually growing.
However, to achieve balanced population growth, actions must be taken to alleviate poverty, improve food supply, end malnutrition, and provide adequate housing. The 8th plan document in a National Population Policy has stated that special determinants such as female literacy, age at marriage, employment opportunities for women and their status in society are as important as achieving a reducing in infant mortality, improving health and nutrition of the pre-school child and providing a comprehensive package of maternal care services. The World Population Report also points out that reproductive health care is inadequate in several countries.
July 11, is the World Population Day and the International Commerence on Population and Development was held in Cairo in September 1997. The most important aim of the conference was to promote gender equality.
Only persuasion should be used to make people take to family-planning. Pressure or coercion must not be used. During the emergency, force was sued for the purpose. The result was that the people voted against the Congress, and it was thrown out of power. the Janta Government did not do much in this direction. The family planning programme suffered a setback.
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With the return of Congress to power, family planning was again taken up on a war-footing. Our Central Government realized that in it alone lies the salvation of our country. However, efforts in this direction made so far have had no impact on the growth of population. We suggest that an autonomous corporation be set up to deal with the whole problem in details and take effective stops. If need be, a law should be enacted for the purpose. Those having more than two children may be penalized. Adoption of orphans should also be encouraged.
The above essay can be also used for the topic like – How To Keep The Population Under Control?