Where are our children?

A steep decline in fertility, badly regulated adoption, and other impediments are likely to lead to severe social and economic problems

For decades, we have been told that India has an overpopulation problem. However, things have changed a lot in recent times. In China and in Europe, we have seen the adverse consequences of low fertility and a rapid decline in the fertility rate. Though India has not conducted a census since 2011, there is some evidence that suggests a rather rapid decline in fertility. The problems are compounded by the unbalanced sex ratio, as only one gender bears children. It is not widely recognised that the total fertility rate (TFR) in Tamil Nadu is now lower than that in Germany.

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