'India's population at crossroads, not a crisis'

New Delhi: An NGO, Population Foundation of India, has urged a shift away from fear-driven debates on overpopulation or fertility decline, calling instead for policies that centre on dignity, rights, and opportunities, particularly for women, youth, and the elderly.

The NGO, in a statement on World Population Day 2025 on Friday, asserted that India's population challenges are not about numbers but about justice, equity, and investment in human potential.

"India's population story is not a crisis, it's a crossroads," Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director of the Population Foundation of India, said during a function marking the occasion.

World Population Day is being observed under the global theme: 'empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world'.

The NGO asserted that India's population challenges are not about numbers but about justice, equity, and investment in human potential.

"We must stop oscillating between fears of 'overpopulation' and 'population collapse,' and instead focus on what really matters, gender equality, reproductive autonomy, and inclusive public investment," she added.

The foundation's statement focused on three key areas for policymakers.

The first is realising the gender dividend; family planning must move beyond female sterilisation to a range of contraceptives, with both men and women sharing responsibility.

"We need men to be part of the solution as active participants, not merely as supporters. It's men's onus to ensure women's safety at home as well as at the workplace," Muttreja said.

"Family planning has long been seen as a woman's responsibility, but reproductive health is a shared responsibility," she added.

The second is harnessing the demographic dividend, with over 250 million young people. India has a unique opportunity to drive inclusive growth by investing in education, skill development, reproductive health, and mental well-being, especially for adolescent girls.

The third is to prepare for the silver dividend, noting that by 2050, nearly one in five Indians will be over 60, the foundation called for immediate investments in elder care, pensions, healthcare, and age-friendly infrastructure and see older adults as vital contributors and not as dependents.

India, now the world's most populous country, reflects the full range of demographic experiences, from high fertility and unmet reproductive needs in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to ageing populations and below-replacement fertility in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the statement added.

While India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) stands at 2.0, more than 24 million married women still lack access to contraceptives and early marriages and unsafe abortions further restrict reproductive choices.

The foundation urged policymakers to abandon fear-based narratives and called for strengthened care systems and a rights-based approach to the population.

"If we centre people, especially women, youngsters, and the elderly in our policies, population trends will not be a crisis, but a path to a more just and resilient future," the statement concluded.