Question

What are the main causes of population growth in India?

Answer 1

Population growth:

1. Birth rate and death rate are the two parameters used to measure the population growth of a country.
2. Population growth is determined by the difference between the birth and the death rate.

Causes of population growth:

1. Decrease in the death rate due to improved medical facilities with the birth rate remaining the same is one of the major causes of population growth in India.
2. Illiteracy prevalent in major parts of India make people believe that 'children are god's blessings' hence making them against the concept of ‘family planning’.
3. People of India follow different religions of which some of them do not advocate the concept of ‘family planning’.
4. As most of the families in rural areas are below the poverty line, they think having a large family will increase their source of income by sending children to work.
5. Decrease in infant mortality rate due to improved medical facilities.
6. Many of the Indian families are superstitious about the fact that ‘children are a sign of prosperity’.
7. Indian families believe that a male child is responsible to continue one's lineage and the constant attempt to have a male child results in number of female children.
8. Industrialization and growth of opportunities in urban areas have increased the urban population.
9. Average life span of people has increased due to control of epidemics by immunization programs.
10. In rural areas, children are considered a source of recreation, hence giving birth to more children is a practice in rural areas.