Population Growth in the Country

As per the report of the Technical Group on Population Projections constituted by National Commission on Population, the estimate for total population of India as on 1st March, 2010 is 117.67 crore and for 1st March, 2020 is 132.62 crore. The annual exponential growth rate of population during the period 2016-20 is estimated to be 1.1 percent.

As per the United Nations Population Projections, 2008 Revision, the Population of India will be 136.72 crore in 2020 and India will continue to be second most populous Country in the World. 

Government has adopted a National Population Policy in February, 2000 which provides for holistic approach for achieving population stabilization in the country. The policy affirms the commitment of the Government towards voluntary and informed choice and consent of citizens while availing of reproductive health care services and continuation of the target free approach in administering family planning services. Some of the fresh initiatives taken by the Ministry for stabilising population in the country are as under: 

i.) Fixed day Fixed Place Family Planning Services round the year through growing number of 24x7 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and better functioning of Community Health Centres (CHCs) and other health facilities under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). 

ii.) Promoting Intra-uterine Device (IUD-380A) intensively as a spacing method because of its longevity of 10 years and advantage over other IUDs. 

iii.) Promotion of acceptance of 'No Scalpel Vasectomy' to ensure male participation has also been part of NRHM strategy on population stabilisation. 

iv.) Increasing the basket of choice by systematically and carefully introducing new and effective contraceptives in the programme. 

v.) National Family Planning Insurance Scheme has been started since November 2005 to compensate the sterilisation acceptors for failures, complications and deaths and also to provide indemnity insurance cover to doctors. 

vi.) Compensation package for sterilisation was increased in September 2007 i.e. in vasectomy from Rs. 800/- to Rs. 1500/- and in Tubectomy from Rs. 800/- to Rs. 1000/- in public facilities and to uniform amount of Rs. 1500/- in accredited private health facilities for all categories for vasectomy. 

vii.) The outreach activities through the institution of ASHAs and Monthly Village Health and Nutrition Days under NRHM also help towards population stabilisation. 

viii.) The Santushti strategy implemented through Janasankhya Sthrirata Kosh provides private sector gynaecologists and vasectomy surgeons an opportunity to conduct sterilisation operations in Public Private Partnership (PPP). 

This information was given by Minister of Health & Family Welfare Sh. Ghulam Nabi Azad in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.