The number 127,42,39,769 isn't really a scary one. This denotes India's current population, as reported on World Population Day. China was always the benchmark when it came to a populated country, but their one child policy, though helping keep numbers down, means that the growing number of aged people is steadily rising and it is killing the country, slowly. India, on the other hand, has one of the highest youth populace in the world, a dividend that can be turned into positive thing.
Educated Indians migrating around the world could mean that the country can turn into a service provider for many industries. Of course this would need a serious injection of funds into the education sphere, to get it on par with the more developed countries. If the worldwide IT industry is any indication then India has a large advantage on the labour front.
But, the current numbers cannot be taken lightly. There are dangers, no doubt. With a rising population comes a larger percentage of the elderly and going by China's example, a big part of education and skill development spend will end up going towards building infrastructure for their care, judging by the current trends and the fact that caregiving at home is an expensive option.
Healthcare is another concern. While infant mortality rates are down and rightly so, healthcare infrastructure is another prerequisite when the population starts rising. The female child ratio too needs to be addressed, as archaic laws and mentality means that couples try for a son even after two or three daughters, in view of succession laws. If the government does need to stem the rapid population growth, this is a good place to start. It will also help keep the female infanticide rates down. If the government is really serious about controlling the population rise, then it has to unabashedly start awareness drives and educating the masses about contraception. A sharp decline in population is dangerous for any country but a sharp rise is just as disadvantageous.
A large section of India's booming population is in rural areas and without adequate infrastructure and employment opportunities there, it would mean a migration to Tier A to C towns and areas. This will, in turn, put a heavy load on the infrastructure in metros and other towns, cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune for instance. In the absence of the gold standard, printing money for more infrastructure and other facilities will not be the ideal way to go, should India's population start rising even faster. An economic boom can also lead to a rise in inflation if not steered carefully.
However, the positive side notwithstanding, India cannot afford to have such a burgeoning population in the near future. There has to be some semblance of basic control and stabilisation.
