The Census of 1981 placed India’s population at 685 million. In the global context, India accounts for 15% of the world’s total population and 2.4% of the total land area. In mid-1982 India’s population crossed the 700 million mark. In this way, it became only second to China in the matter of population. India’s total numbers constitute 15 per cent of the total world population. ADVERTISEMENTS: Population in India increase by 15 million each year. Some experts believe that the number has already crossed 810 million in 1986. We have a fairly high fertility and moderate mortality rate. The birth rate is around 33 and death rate around 12 per thousand. Our population since 1961 has been increasing at an average annual rate of over two per cent. There has been only a moderate decline in birth rate over this period. In the decade between 1961-1971 she added more than 100 million (109.1). During 1971-81 the population increased by 135 million. During 1981-91 the population increased by 163 millions. ADVERTISEMENTS: What about the future growth of India’s population? In India, about 36 per cent of the population is under-fifteen. It means this group will enter the child-bearing years in the next two decades. Thus India may touch a billion by 2000 A.D. India’s population is currently estimated at well over 950 million. It is estimated that by 2050 A.D. our population would be around 1,300 million. What are reasons for this runaway growth? A major reason is slow but steady decline in the nation’s death rate. The infant death rate had been very high for many decades. Even today, despite maternal and child health serv­ices offered by both central and state governments, the rate is more than 120 per 1000 live births. The birth rate was around 40-41 per 1,000 births when India became independent in 1947. This was not high as far as birth rates in the Third World went. ADVERTISEMENTS: During the last three and a half decades because of the large- scale family planning efforts of the Government of India, the birth rate decreased to 35-36 per 1,000. India’s objective is to over the birth rate to 25 per 1,000 as soon as possible. This can be possible if people do not consider family planning programmers as only a government programme but come forward willingly to cooperate in the matter. China is another country which is making massive efforts to control population. As against India’s slogan of “Hum Do-Hamare Do” China’s policy-One child is ideal, two are tolerable, but three will bring harsh penalties to the parents. So serious are the Chinese authorities about promot­ing one-child families that they are backing up their slogans with huge financial rewards. The growing population is posing a great threat to the world. It is therefore, necessary that effective steps are taken to control population. So serious has the problem of population become that population is being introduced as a subject of study in schools.