Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Keeping An Eye On India

The BBC News stated that India “is now in a process of rapid economic development, but it faces complex and enduring internal problems”(2007, para. 5). As in almost all the less developed countries (LDCs), it is easy to distinguish the most common struggles that are strictly related with overpopulation (i.e.: cultural and religious beliefs, crime, and poor economy). But, what makes the difference in India versus the rest of LDCs in the world? In this respect, population growth control, “Brain gain”, and diversity are key parameters to perceive the “overpopulation boom” in India.

Population growth control has been established since 1952 in India. This decision took place because “in 1950, women in India averaged about six children each in their lifetimes” (Nanda and Haub, 2007, para 1) The government applied drastic decisions to reduce its population in the 1970s by implementing sterilizations to men under the police authorities, and penalties for families with more than three children were common at that time. Nowadays, this birth control is implemented without violence and this strategy has been helpful to slow overpopulation growth. However, demographic trends are estimating 2 billion people for the year 2101. In other words, no matter the control they have been implementing during the last 38 years, this populous country is eminently going to overtake China during the following 21 years.

Fortunately, “Brain Gain”—or the decision most Indian students make to go back to their countries when they finished college abroad, is helping to increase the progress in this nation. On the contrary, most of the people that immigrate from LDCs to MDCs usually do not go back to their countries, because they have lost the idea of having a better life in their own lands. This particular phenomenon in India is giving them an advantage because foreign investors are interested in having their business in a place where people are prepared and the salary is not high. Nowadays, a lot of call centers and factories are helping some inhabitants to reach a middle class stability. However, this positive aspect is not good enough to eradicate the 60% of poverty in this nation.

Definitely, diversity is a positive and at the same time, negative aspect in a society. It is positive because, no matter the difference, you are not judged by your own beliefs or language; on the contrary, without diversity you simply lose your human rights. With sixteen official languages, a great number of English speakers, different dialects, and heterogeneous cities, India is considered one of the most diverse countries in the world. It is said that in this country there are orthodox castes that are against modernity. In this respect, if a country wants to be part of a global world, flexibility needs to flourish to succeed.

Today, India is reaching an important position as an economic power in the world. Positive aspects like brain gain are going to help, in a way, to overcome their social problems. At the moment, the world is going to be observing and waiting for their complex advances. But the big question still remains, is India going to be ready to feed 2 billion?

Source:
BBC NEWS (2007, January). Key facts: India rising. Retrieved on January 29th, 2009, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/6257057.stm

BBC Religion & Ethics (2005, October 03) Contraception Mass birth-control programmes. Retrieved February 05, 2009, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/contraception/mass_birth_control_1.shtml

Nanda, A. and Haub, C. (2007, August) The Population of India, A long-range Demographic View. (pp. 3-7) Population Foundation of India and Population Reference Bureau

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