Not at all surprised that Indian population growth in 2026 registered at 1.9, under the replacement level of 2.1 for the country. Hardly a handful of my son’s classmates/schoolmates are married (32-32 years) and even those who are married are not for having babies. DINK – the’ double income no kid’ is the latest trend among whoever can manage to live as couples. Earn sky high, indulge in foreign holidays without commitments, live life king size in luxury apartments and dining out most days, shop, party – and if you feel vacuum, adopt a puppy. Unfortunately, this is what the kids of this generation tell me about how they want to live their lives. I am reprimanded by my son who has warned me that I should never question his friends both boys and girls on their marriage or about parenthood. ‘Its their choice’ says he. Even those few who are married have rocky marital relationships if not already legally separated. Depression is not uncommon. This is inspite of the kids having had a brilliant academic record capping it later with remarkable professional accomplishments. So what is missing here? Its pathetic – seeing younger Indian generation rotting away lacking inspiration. Another shocking observation that the population census may not cover is that; NOBODY WANTS TO BE MENTOR/CEO. Very few want to opt for the responsibility of taking up leadership role. We are staring at such a demotivated generation that I am not sure where we parents went wrong in raising our children who grew up in the 1990s-2000s.
Fewer babies are being born and among the fewer, a sizeable percentage of the newborns seem to have developmental issues or learning disabilities such as autism or dyslexia. Out of every three or so married couples, only one can reportedly conceive naturally without medical intervention. One may settle for IVF – and if at all it is successful, may end up with a kid in late 30s or 40s which may or may not be healthy/fit. Many such kids also figure in the autism spectrum invariably. The third couple may represent failure of IVF cycles or voluntary family planning. Quality of manpower is also getting dismal with each progressive decade. Human resources are India’s greatest wealth. In future, there are bound to be issues on this sector as well.
Ageing population: Don’t tell me, we are getting there already! From now on, the senior population may outnumber the younger lot which is a concern.
India is supposed to peak in population in another 20-30 years and after 50 years, predicted to see a sharp decline in population. This is because our population continues to grow as of date. The under-replacement level fertility rate will reflect in our population after a few decades.
My add-on: Even in that 1.9 under -replacement fertility rate I guess, the contribution is maximum by the islamic community of India than Hindu/Christian.
Reason for shrinking family size in India: LITERACY.
Silverlining in the cloud: Never seen before such an awareness for nature/ecology and responsibility towards Mother Nature/Earth. A generation that is more for equitable social justice – unfortunately we have a catch here. This is however limited to Hindu/Christian youth only.
vijiravindran's 