- Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare participated & expressed his views in WION and Zee Media’s “Population versus Planet” Conference on 20 February 2021, which is a part of its year-long campaign called ‘Mission Sustainability: Population Vs Planet’.
Socially important themes including population stabilisation, empowering women & youth through education were discussed by numerous policy experts, demographic researchers & academicians in this campaign.
During the conference Dr. Harsh Vardhan said:
Population projection for India and States 2011-2036, released in July 2020, indicates that the total fertility rate is expected to decline from 2.37 percent during 2011-2015 to 1.73 percent during 2031-35.
India is now in a phase of demographic transition with a substantial percentage of youth population.
The youth population in the age group of 15-24 years is projected to decline from 233 million in 2011 to 227 million in 2036. However, the proportion of the working age population is expected to increase from 61% in 2011 to 65% in 2036.
India is adding 12 million people to the working age population each year.