Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independent Day speech, raised the issue of uncontrolled population growth and its consequences for the country. Expressing his concerns on challenges that the growing population may pose, PM Modi said, “We cannot think of an unhealthy society, we cannot think of an uneducated society. In 21st century India, the ability to fulfill dreams starts with a person, starts with a family. If the population is not educated, not healthy, then neither the home nor the country can be happy. If the population is educated, empowered, and skilled and has adequate means available to achieve the right ambience to fulfill their wishes and needs, then I think the country can fulfill these things.”
His comment has already given rise to speculations about a possible population control law in future. Meanwhile, it is intriguing that PM Modi does not seem to be on the same page on population growth with the department of Economic Affairs, which in its Economic Survey report just a month ago gave a very different if not contradictory picture on population growth.
The Economic Survey 2018-19 observed that the population growth in India has been slowing for last few decades from an annual growth rate of 2.5 per cent during 1971-81 to an estimated 1.3 per cent as of 2011-16.
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