A new book throws light on a utopian population control plan after India became independent

Although the “population problem” in India was discussed among British officials and Indian leaders in the pre-Independence period, especially since 1931, an urgent need to address what was seen as the menace of “overpopulation” arose around Independence under the shadow of international discourse on rapid population growth in the Third World, especially India. The 1951 Census showed growth of 13.31 per cent during 1941–51 and a total population of more than 36 crore, adding to itself several millions a year. This was a situation that reminded many of the Malthusian trap, triggering concern over avoiding a “population explosion” that would, apart from neutralising the positive effects of development, threaten the ability of the country to even feed itself. Both food and development struck a chord with Indian leadership, mainly because of the historical legacy of famines and underdevelopment during the British Raj. The sentiment was widely shared and expressed by leaders and policymakers from different parts of India and triggered a debate that has continued to date.

The debate after Independence involved a three-stage process. In the first stage, it followed the general pattern of the global demographic debate on “overpopulation”, whereby rapid population growth was seen as a serious problem that...

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