Population explosion has long been a serious issue neutralising any amount of progress society makes. India has been a classic example of this.

The country has launched many programmes to limit its ever growing population and one such measure is thetwo-child policy for government employees which several states have implemented.

The policy is aligned with the country's National Population Policy that aims at reducing or stabilising India's population by 2045. As per the latest World Population Prospects released by United Nations (revised in 2015), the estimated population of India will be 1419 million (approximately) by 2022, outpacing China as the world’s most populous nation.

Under this policy, anyone who has more than two children cannot be elected or nominated to Panchayat and other local bodies' elections or government jobs.

The policy is drafted keeping in mind the strain of the growing population on the natural resources and environment. However, its implementation will raise latent issues too. It is but obvious that the two-child policy will lead to increasing abortion rates as desire for a male child is universal in India. Since, sex determination is illegal this will result in undercover illegal procedures. So, if the government has to go with the policy then it must make sex determination illegal in cases where the first-born in a girl child.

Even though the goal of the policy is to provide access to quality education, healthcare and employment opportunities, the policy is criticised for its possible side-effects, similar to the ones China is facing now such as demographic changes following the implementation of one-child policy.

An ageing population compounds the difficulties of the world’s most indebted economy because getting growth from an ageing, shrinking society is hard to do.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Ageing predicts that over the next four decades the rapid ageing of populations will be one of the biggest issues affecting the world, having a significant impact on areas such as social welfare, public health and economic prosperity.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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