The concept of Population and Associated Issues is a framework for analyzing the demographic structure of a nation and the socio-economic challenges and opportunities that arise from it. It is a concept central to Indian polity, economy, and social studies, connecting the sheer number of people to the country's development trajectory. India's demographic history is marked by the first non-synchronous census conducted between 1865 and 1872 under Viceroy Lord Mayo, followed by the first complete synchronous census in 1881. Post-independence, the census has been conducted under the Census Act, 1948, by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The concept connects directly to the National Population Policy (NPP), 2000, a policy framework instituted to address population growth and family planning. India was the first country globally to launch a national family planning program in 1952. The NPP 2000 set the long-term goal of achieving a stable population by 2045 and the medium-term goal of reducing the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to the replacement level of 2.1 by 2010. Key mechanisms of the NPP 2000 include providing free and compulsory school education up to 14 years of age, reducing the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to below 30 per 1000 live births, and promoting delayed marriage for girls, preferably after 20 years of age.
A major associated issue is the Demographic Dividend, a concept defined as the economic growth potential resulting from a favorable age structure where the working-age population (15-64 years) is larger than the dependent population (children and elderly). With approximately 68% of its population in the working-age group, India's demographic window is expected to last well beyond 2040. However, the realization of this dividend is not automatic and is associated with challenges like unemployment, strain on infrastructure, and resource depletion. Recent data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) shows a significant change: India's TFR has declined to 2.0, falling below the replacement level of 2.1. This decline, coupled with India surpassing China to become the world's most populous country in the early 2020s, shifts the focus from population control to harnessing the demographic advantage and managing the eventual aging of the population.