'India's population at crossroads, not a crisis'

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New Delhi: An NGO, Population Foundation of India, has urged a shift away from fear-driven debates on overpopulation or fertility decline, calling...

New Delhi: An NGO, Population Foundation of India, has urged a shift away from fear-driven debates on overpopulation or fertility decline, calling instead for policies that centre on dignity, rights, and opportunities, particularly for women, youth, and the elderly.

The NGO, in a statement on World Population Day 2025 on Friday, asserted that India's population challenges are not about numbers but about justice, equity, and investment in human potential.

"India's population story is not a crisis, it's a crossroads," Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director of the Population Foundation of India, said during a function marking the occasion.

The first is realising the gender dividend; family planning must move beyond female sterilisation to a range of contraceptives, with both men and women sharing responsibility.

The second is harnessing the demographic dividend, with over 250 million young people. India has a unique opportunity to drive inclusive growth by investing in education, skill development, reproductive health, and mental well-being, especially for adolescent girls.

The third is to prepare for the silver dividend, noting that by 2050, nearly one in five Indians will be over 60, the foundation called for immediate investments in elder care, pensions, healthcare, and age-friendly infrastructure and see older adults as vital contributors and not as dependents.