Letters to The Editor — June 12, 2025
Report on population
The report by the United Nations Population Fund estimating India's population to have hit the 146.39 crore mark is alarming (Page 1, June 11). We face a ticking time bomb. At a time when poverty, inequality and unemployment levels have gone up, there is a dire need to arrest population growth on a war footing.
Prabhu Raj R.,
Bengaluru
While concerns over overpopulation have long dominated policy discussions, we are now entering an era where population stabilisation and eventual decline must be viewed through a different lens.
The projected peak of 170 crore in the next four decades indicates a crucial window for India to reap the demographic dividend. However, with declining fertility comes a future risk of an aging population, a shrinking workforce, and growing health-care burdens. Let this demographic shift be a catalyst for smarter and more inclusive policy-making.
Chidanand Kumar,
Bengaluru
Some States still have high fertility rates while others are well below replacement, creating uneven demographic shifts. The key is balanced population management, ensuring economic, social and environmental sustainability and good health for all.
Dr. O. Prasada Rao,
Hyderabad
A serious population survey should tell us whether India's population has attained a state of constancy or decline. Political partisanship should not deter us from undertaking this survey. This true picture should enable the recalibration of allocations and essential services.
M.V. Sridhara,
Mysuru
Cargo ship fire
The blaze on the M.V. Wan Hai 503 off the Kerala coast is more than a mid-sea mishap. It is a searing indictment of maritime risk management.
The accident also exposes gaps in pre-emptive tracking, hazardous cargo disclosure and real-time monitoring.
India needs a robust marine emergency protocol and international collaboration for hazardous cargo ships transiting in our waters. Let this not drift into a routine and post-crisis clean-up operation. Prevention must sail ahead of reaction.
Gopalaswamy J.,
Chennai
Crime and media content
The report, on a murder in Meghalaya, is disturbing. In this connection, questions need to be raised about content being aired on some television channels, on crimes. In the name of presenting 'dramatised versions of crime cases, with a view to opening the minds of viewers', more harm may be being caused.
Sarah Abraham,
Ponda, Goa
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The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Letters to The Editor — June 12, 2025
Report on population The report by the United Nations Population Fund estimating India's population to have hit the 146.39 crore mark is alarming (Page 1, June 11). We face a ticking time bomb. At a time when poverty, inequality and unemployment levels have gone up, there is a dire need to arrest population growth on a war footing. Prabhu Raj R., Bengaluru While concerns over overpopulation have long dominated policy discussions, we are now entering an era where population stabilisation and eventual decline must be viewed through a different lens. The projected peak of 170 crore in the next four decades indicates a crucial window for India to reap the demographic dividend. However, with declining fertility comes a future risk of an aging population, a shrinking workforce, and growing health-care burdens. Let this demographic shift be a catalyst for smarter and more inclusive policy-making. Chidanand Kumar, Bengaluru Some States still have high fertility rates while others are well below replacement, creating uneven demographic shifts. The key is balanced population management, ensuring economic, social and environmental sustainability and good health for all. Dr. O. Prasada Rao, Hyderabad A serious population survey should tell us whether India's population has attained a state of constancy or decline. Political partisanship should not deter us from undertaking this survey. This true picture should enable the recalibration of allocations and essential services. M.V. Sridhara, Mysuru Cargo ship fire The blaze on the M.V. Wan Hai 503 off the Kerala coast is more than a mid-sea mishap. It is a searing indictment of maritime risk management. The accident also exposes gaps in pre-emptive tracking, hazardous cargo disclosure and real-time monitoring. India needs a robust marine emergency protocol and international collaboration for hazardous cargo ships transiting in our waters. Let this not drift into a routine and post-crisis clean-up operation. Prevention must sail ahead of reaction. Gopalaswamy J., Chennai Crime and media content The report, on a murder in Meghalaya, is disturbing. In this connection, questions need to be raised about content being aired on some television channels, on crimes. In the name of presenting 'dramatised versions of crime cases, with a view to opening the minds of viewers', more harm may be being caused. Sarah Abraham, Ponda, Goa
India.com
2 days ago
- India.com
India's Population Reaches 1.46 Billion In 2025, But Fertility Rate Falls Below Replacement Level: UN Report
New Delhi: While India continues to be the most populous country, with an estimated 1.46 billion people in 2025, the country's total fertility rate has fallen to 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1, according to the latest report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released on Tuesday. The 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) report underscores that the real crisis lies not in population size, but in the widespread challenges to support individuals' right to decide freely and responsibly if, when, and how many children to have. The UN report estimates 'India's population at present at 1,463.9 million'. 'India is now the world's most populous nation, with nearly 1.5 billion people -- a number expected to grow to about 1.7 billion before it begins falling,' the report said. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in India is currently 2.0 children per woman. This means that on average, a woman in India would be expected to have 2 children during her childbearing years (typically ages 15-49). This rate has remained constant since 2020, according to the Sample Registration System (SRS) report for 2021. However, the new report showed it has declined to 1.9 births per woman, which means that, on average, Indian women are having fewer children than needed to maintain the population size from one generation to the next, without migration. Despite the slowing birth rate, India's youth population remains significant, with 24 per cent in the age bracket of 0-14, 17 per cent in 10-19, and 26 per cent in 10-24. While 68 per cent of the population accounts for the 15-64 age bracket, the elderly population (65 and older) stands at seven per cent. As of 2025, life expectancy at birth is projected to be 71 years for men and 74 years for women. The UN report also placed India in a group of middle-income countries undergoing rapid demographic change, with the population doubling time now estimated at 79 years. 'India has made significant progress in lowering fertility rates -- from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to about two today -- thanks to improved education and access to reproductive healthcare,' said Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative. 'This has led to major reductions in maternal mortality, meaning million more mothers are alive today, raising children and building communities," Wojnar added.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
India's fertility rate drops below replacement level even as population hits 1.46 billion: UN report
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel India's population has reached 1.46 billion in 2025, cementing its position as the world's most populous nation, even as its fertility rate continues to decline, according to the United Nations Population Fund 's (UNFPA) State of World Population Report released on report projects that India's population will peak at around 1.7 billion over the next 40 years before beginning to shrink. In comparison, China's population is estimated to be 1.41 billion this year. Last year, India's population stood at 1.44 billion, according to the World Population Prospects 2024 report released by the UN in total fertility rate (TFR) in India has now fallen to 1.9, which is below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population across generations. The UNFPA report highlights that while the national average reflects progress, it conceals sharp disparities across regions, economic classes and social contrast has created what the report calls a 'high fertility and low fertility duality.' States such as Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh continue to show high fertility rates due to poor access to contraception, limited healthcare services and entrenched gender norms. In contrast, states like Delhi, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have sustained below-replacement fertility levels. In these states, many urban, educated middle-class couples are delaying or opting out of parenthood because of rising costs and work-life has seen a significant decline in fertility over the decades, from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to around two today. The National Family Health Survey of 2019–21 recorded a TFR of 2.0 for the first time, signaling the shift below replacement this progress, the report notes that millions in India still face barriers to making informed reproductive choices. Many women are unable to freely decide if and when to have children. The focus, the UNFPA urges, should shift from concerns over falling fertility to fulfilling reproductive intentions.'This is the real crisis, not underpopulation or overpopulation. The answer lies in greater reproductive agency, a person's ability to make free and informed choices about sex, contraception and starting a family,' the report this, a UNFPA-YouGov survey of 14,000 people across 14 countries, including India, found that one in three Indian adults reported experiencing unintended pregnancies. Another 30 percent said they were unable to have as many or as few children as they wanted. Notably, 23 percent experienced constraints were the most cited barrier, with nearly four in ten respondents naming it as a reason they could not have the families they desired. Other hurdles included job insecurity (21 percent), housing issues (22 percent), and lack of access to reliable childcare (18 percent).The report calls for a fundamental shift in population policy discourse, urging governments to prioritise reproductive rights and support systems over alarmist reactions to demographic change
