India’s population crosses 127-crore mark

India’s population crosses 127-crore mark

On the World Population Day (11^th July), India recorded a population of 127,42,39,769. It is growing at a rate of 1.6% a year, and could make the country the most populous in the world by 2050. This data was released by Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh or National Population Stabilisation Fund (NPSF), an autonomous body under the Union Health Ministry.

Notable observations made:

• India’s population is 17.25% of the global population.
• India’s population is growing at a faster rate than China, which is now the world’s most populous country at around 1.39 billion.
• If current population growth rates continue, India will have 1.63 billion people by 2050 and will surpass China.
• The total fertility rate (TFR) in India has seen a decline and stood at 2.3 in 2013 although the decline is not consistent.
• The data suggests that a high percentage of female (21-26%) are married below 18 years of age in States like Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Bihar.
• The population of India, at 1.21 billion as per the 2011 Census, is almost equal to the combined population of the U.S., Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan put together.
• The population of several States match, and in some cases, exceed that of several large countries. For example, the population of U.P. is almost that of Brazil, the fifth most populous country in the world.

About Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh:

• The “Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh” (JSK) (National Population Stabilisation Fund) has been registered as an autonomous Society established under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
• JSK has to promote and undertake activities aimed at achieving population stabilisation at a level consistent with the needs of sustainable economic growth, social development and environment protection, by 2045.
• The Union Health Minister heads the General Body of JSK and the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Department of School Education & Literacy, Rural Development, Planning Commission are represented by their Secretaries on the General Body of JSK.
• All State Governments are members of JSK.
• Besides this the General Body has demographers, representatives of Industry & Trade, NGOs, medical and para-medical associations, general citizens as its members. This enables JSK run as a civil society movement drawing on the strength of its partners.