Meanwhile, some states in India have been trying to disincentivise people from having more than two children.
In Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state, population control measures have been proposed, including cutting off people from certain government benefits if they have more than two children.
Population growth has already started slowing in India, as people are having fewer children.
But it will be several decades before the numbers actually start to decline, experts pointed out.
Before then, there are projections that India will overtake Germany and Japan to become the world’s third-largest economy, possibly by 2030.
The looming question for India is what lies ahead for its 1.4 billion people and if it can leverage its immense workforce so there will be better days for them, said observers.
CONTROLLING THE POPULATION
Dr Kalpana Apte, director-general of non-governmental organisation Family Planning Association of India, said: “The reason that you see the numbers is because earlier, a lot of people, the biggest cohort of young people in India, were in their reproductive years, and they had children.
“And that’s why we are in a progressive movement known as population momentum.”
Her association, which was set up in 1949 to focus on birth control for the population, provides free vasectomies and the state government gives patients a US$13 incentive for the procedure. It also offers sterilisation for women and abortion services at its clinics.
Programmes are held in slum areas to raise awareness of the family planning options available.
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