Population

The demographic buyback solution: Why a lower fertility rate may help India

Rather than a crisis, India's falling fertility could boost per capita prosperity if AI-driven productivity offsets a shrinking workforce

Delhi Census Phase 1: Which districts have most people and houses?

Delhi Census Phase 1: North East emerged as the most populous district, while New Delhi recorded the lowest population

India’s fertility rate is now below replacement level: What happens next?

India’s fertility rate has fallen below the replacement level for the first time, raising questions about the country’s demographic future. Does this mean India’s population will start shrinking? In t

Why India's 2.0 fertility rate does not mean population decline soon

India's fertility rate remained at 2.0 in 2023-24, below replacement level. But that does not mean the population will start shrinking anytime soon. Here's why

From 5 children in 1971 to 2 today: How India's fertility rate transformed

According to NFHS-5, India's fertility rate dropped below the replacement threshold of 2.1 during 2019-21 and has remained there since

Changing aspirations, rising cost of living drag India's fertility rate

As fertility rates falls below replacement level, rising costs of housing, education and childcare, alongside changing aspirations and delayed marriage, are reshaping family size decisions

Fertility puzzle: Why countries can't seem to reverse falling birth rates

From cash incentives to calls for national duty, governments deployed every tool to boost births, but declining fertility proved far harder to reverse than expected

Swiss voters reject bid to cap population at 10 mn in early results

Voters in Switzerland have cast their final ballots on Sunday on an initiative championed by the top right-wing party to cap the rich Alpine country's population at 10 million. Early results showed Swiss voters were leaning against it. The populist Swiss People's Party, which has the most seats in parliament, has stirred up and fostered anti-migration sentiment over the years, notably about an influx of workers from the neighbouring European Union. Some have dubbed the proposal a "Swiss Brexit" because it could jeopardise Switzerland's deep ties to the European Union anchored by deals that foster economic growth, cultural ties and cross-border travel, among other things. Switzerland is not one of the EU's 27 member states, but it is all but surrounded by four of them Recent polling from the gfs.bern agency suggested that it could be a close contest. Preliminary results shared by the federal government showed that nearly 53 per cent of voters rejected the proposal, with nationwide .

A silver lining for Indian eldercare companies lies overseas markets

The company has already drawn up plans to expand into Mauritius and is also eyeing Sri Lanka and Dubai

Amid delimitation row, SRS bulletin reveals population imbalance in India

Latest SRS Bulletin shows India's fertility rate has fallen to 1.9, below replacement level, exposing a widening regional divide

Is college education still worth it in India as AI reshapes jobs market?

Without a shift to vocational training and stronger manufacturing to absorb workers, the college degree will remain a pricey ticket to a lottery that has stopped paying out

Census 2027 begins in Uttarakhand; Guv, CM enter info via self-enumeration

The first phase of 'Census 2027' formally began in Uttarakhand on Friday with Governor Lt Gen (retd) Gurmit Singh and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami registering their details digitally through the 'self-enumeration' facility. Under the program, house listing and house enumeration work has begun in the state. For the first time under 'Digital India', citizens have been given the opportunity to enter their information online before a census officer visits their homes. Officials said that this facility of self-enumeration will be available from April 10 to April 24 and after this, from April 25 to May 24, the census workers will go door to door to collect the data. On this occasion, the governor stated that the census is not merely a collection of data, but a cornerstone of the state's development. He appealed to citizens to actively participate in this important campaign through self-enumeration, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the data. The CM said that accurate census

SC rejects plea to stop caste Census, slams petitioner for language used

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking a direction to the Centre to stop caste Census, and slammed the petitioner for the language used in the PIL. "'Aapne apne petition me badtameezi ki bhasa likhi hai. Aapne kisse apna petition likhwaya hai' (You have written indecent language in your petition. Who has written your petition?)," a visibly angry Chief Justice Surya Kant told the petitioner, who was appearing in person. "Aap kahan se aisi bhasa likhte ho petition me (From where you write such language in your petition)," the CJI, who was heading the bench which also comprised Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, told the petitioner. The bench dismissed the plea, which also sought a direction to the Centre to formulate policies to provide economic incentives to families with a single child. On February 2, the top court had refused to entertain a separate PIL questioning the procedure to be adopted to record, classify and verify the caste data of citizens in th

Census 2027: More than 572,000 households avail self-enumeration facility

More than 5.72 lakh households have availed the self-enumeration facility so far during the first phase of the Census 2027, the Registrar General of India (RGI) said on Friday. This reflects the growing participation in the digital initiative of the Census, it said. "By choosing to provide their details online, these families have embraced a faster, smarter and a more convenient way to contribute to nation-building," the RGI said in a post on X. The self-enumeration facility is available to citizens in states and Union territories which will start physical Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) from April 16. The Census 2027 kick-started on April 1 in eight states and Union territories, including New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Delhi Cantt areas of the national capital, with a 15-day self-enumeration window -- a first in the history of the massive exercise. A specially developed portal for self-enumeration has been opened for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka,

Census 2027: Step-by-step guide to register for self-enumeration process

India begins its first digital Census with a new self-enumeration option. Here is a detailed guide on how to register for the process online

Census 2027 Phase 1 begins today: Here's all you need to know about it

Census 2027 Phase 1 begins today, marking India's first digital headcount with caste data and self-enumeration. The long-delayed exercise will be conducted in two phases across the country

Phase one of Census 2027 to have 33 questions for citizens, says govt

The government has notified a set of 33 questions to be asked during the first phase of Census 2027 -- Housing Listing and Housing Operations (HLO) -- a month-long exercise to be conducted between April 1 and September 30 as per schedules finalised by states and Union Territories, a top official said on Monday. The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, said, according to a January 22 notification, enumerators will collect details such as building number (municipal or local authority or census number), census house number, and the predominant materials used for the floor, walls, and roof. They will also record the use and condition of the house and assign a household number. They will also ask about the total number of usual residents in the household, name and sex of the head of the household, whether the head belongs to a Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or other category, ownership status of the house, number of dwelling rooms and the number

Why south Indian states fear they must populate or risk political decline

States fear losing political clout as faster population growth in states like UP, Bihar could tilt parliamentary representation, reshaping India's federal balance and democratic power structure

Birth incentives and bad economics: The flaws in Andhra's demographic plan

The policy runs the risk of creating adverse outcomes. First concerns the quality of human capital. Given that India's and Andhra Pradesh's falling TFR is the result of improved education and incomes

Andhra plans ₹25K incentive for second child under new population policy

Andhra Pradesh has proposed a structured population management strategy, including a Rs 25,000 incentive for a second child, as the state confronts a falling fertility rate