DATA STORY : Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

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According to MOSPI, Total fertility rate (TFR) is defined as the average number of children that would be born to a woman if she experiences the current fertility pattern throughout her reproductive span (15-49 years). The fertility rate has declined across the majority of the states. All states MP, Rajasthan, UP, Jharkhand, Bihar, Manipur and Meghalaya have attained a replacement level of 2.1

Reasons for demographic transition:

• Introduction of initiatives like contraception
• Government health and family welfare schemes
• Special emphasis on education of the girl child
• Exponential growth of institutional births
• Overall improvement in health and nutrition

Future of India:

• Will India not overtake China to become the most populous nation globally?
• It depends on too many variables to make that prediction, including how China handles its declining population.
• India has achieved the critical step of stabilising growth by pegging the replacement level fertility at 2.1.
• But experts believe that India may still be on the path to becoming the most populous nation.

Suggestive Measures:

• India should prioritise educating the girl child as the first priority.  Family’s overall well-being depends upon the education (especially female education) and only education can lead to the healthy nation
• Education gives young people, especially girls, a greater sense of awareness and well-being that prevents early marriages and pregnancies which is critical in checking the population.
• Capacity Building through Awareness; alongside family planning and reproductive health awareness need to be imparted to adults, and they need to be encouraged to adopt family planning measures.
  
  

  Que. “The total fertility rate has declined across the majority of the Indian states”. In the light of the statement discuss the reasons and suggest solutions to address the issue of low child sex ratio. (250 words). 15 Marks