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Focus 1998 October - December English |
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1 Pages 1-10 |
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1.1 Page 1 |
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Focus
Volume XIINo.4
October-December 1998
afila
A BULLETIN
OF POPULATION
FOUNDATION
OF INDIA
Panchayat Members' Training in Reproductive Health
Completed in Four States
State level workshops were held
in four States covering five
districts out of the seven districts
where Panchayat members have been
trained on issues related to
reproductive health, family planning,
population and environment,
nutrition, maternal and child health
care, control of communicable
diseases and resource planning.
ft;01I0MlC, CHANGE , BAHGALORE
_N"""'~N 'I'll NlYRIlDA AND t!lRRNlII
(IF INfJ/R , NIElD DIEI.HI
The workshops, held in
November and December 1998,
covered the districts of Chitradurga
in Karnataka, Pune in Maharashtra,
Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan and
Dindigul and Dharmapuri districts
in Tamil Nadu. The experience
sharing workshops focused on the
response from Panchayat members,
resource persons, implementing
agencies
and
consulting
organisations with regard to the
methodology,
contents and
usefulness of modules, location and
duration of training, quality of
resource persons and the level of
partici pa tion by the Pancha ya t
members. The workshops also
discussed the efficacy of the training
A view of the state level workshop organised at Bangalore to review the
training of Panchayat members in Chitradurga District of Karnataka.
in terms of action initiated by the
Panchayat members related to
population and social development
issues within their jl~risdiction.
The representatives
from
consulting organisations, implemen-
ting agencies, selected resource
persons and Panchayat members
from district, block and Panchayat
level participated in the workshops.
Representatives of government and
non-governmental agencies also
attended these workshops which
helped them to appreciate each
other's role while working together
to empower Panchayati Raj
institutions.
PFI played a crucial role by not
only funding the entire training but
by providing
co-ordination
culminating in the four workshops.
The State level workshop to
review the training in the districts of
Continued on Page 2
• IASP Conference to Focus on ICPD Progress 3
• Bill Gates Donates for Population
3
• Michael Vlassoff is UNFPA Representative 5
• Conference on PopulationStabilisationin UP 5
• Parliamentarians Discuss
ICPD Plan of Action
7
• World Population to be Six Billion
8
• The Ultra-Rich
8
• Registration of Births and Deaths to Improve 9
• Human Development in India
9
• Population - Now and After Half Century 10
• UNFPAto Identify Priority
Areas in Population and Development
11
• PFI Project Becomes Self-Sustaining
12
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Editorial
Panchayat Members' Training
The Billion and the Millennium
There are two problems currently faced by Indian
demographers both in India and abroad.
First is to select the date on which India's population
crosses the billion mark; to celebrate it, observe it or
bemoan it as the case may be. Many different dates
have been put forward based on sound demographic
considerations but all equally worthy of consideration.
The differences seem to arise from assumptions on
current population size and recent rates of growth.
According to the Registrar General of India, in their latest
population projections, the population of the country by
mid-I999 is estimated at 986.611 million and by mid-2000,
itwill be 1002.142 million. The implied exponential growth
rate places 12th May 2000 as the most likely date on
which India will cross the billion mark. The Registrar
General's projections done in 1997 are based on 1991
census and take account of the annual birth and death
rates until the year 1995.The Sample Registration System
(SRS) figures for the years 1996 and 1997, which have
been subsequently made available (after the projection
figures), indicate that the growth rates during 1996and
1997were higher at 1.85% and 1.83% respectively, than
what was implied in Registrar General's projections, which
was 1.6%. If we take these higher growth rates during
the past 3 years and the trends implied for 1998 and
1999, they indicate that we will cross the billion mark by
3rd December 1999.
The post-enumeration survey carried out after the 1991
census has revealed that there has been a net under
count of 17 per 1000in the census and if adjustments for
the same are made, the population of India would have
crossed the billion mark by 17 December 1998. This
means we have already crossed the mark!
Then, we have the United Nations projections on
population. The recent figures show that the population
of India by mid-1998 was 975.8 million (higher as
compared to 970.93 million by Registrar General's office)
but grows at 1.6% per year, lower than the rate implied
by the SRS. Under the United Nations assumptions, the
population would cross the billion mark on 12th January
2000. Thus, we have at least 4 projections of the date
by which India crosses the billion mark ranging from
December 1998to May 2000.
The second problem is related to the issue as to when
the next millennium commences? On 1st January 2000
or on 1st January 2001? Demographically, years are
counted in terms of number of completed years, and
2000 years of A.D. will be completed on 1.1.2001 by that
reckoning. However, if we assume the completion of 1999
years of Anno Domini is the beginning of the new
millennium, it has to be celebrated on 1.1.2000 as the
beginning of the 2000th year.
India's population is always considered in terms of
reaching the billion mark at the turn of the millennium
some time in the year 2000. If the millennium is
considered to commence on 1.1,2001, we may miss an
important event in the beginning year of the millenium!
Continued from Page 1
The workshop was aimed to
Dindigul and Dharmapuri was held
on November 21 and 22, 1998 at
Gandhigram Rural Institute,
Dindigul, Tamil Nadu.
share with the state officials the
methodology adopted in the training
programme, the experience of the
consulting organisation, the two
NGos and members of the zilla
The Executive Director of PFI, panchayat pradhan samiti and gram
Dr K Srinivasan and Joint Director panchayat members as well as
(Project Development) Dr R K Rath selected resource persons. The two-
attended the workshop. The day workshop had elaborate
Department of Panchayat Studies of presentations by panchayat members
Gandhigram Rural Institute has been and resource persons specially
the Consulting Organisation while invited from the two districts who
the local NGo, Council for Health also highlighted problems faced by
Education and Rural
them during the
Upliftment (CHERU)
implemented the
Members of Gram
training. The state
level
officials
project in Dindigul
Panchayats,
concerned with
and Satyamurti
Centre
for
Democratic Studies,
Panchayat Samties
and Zilla Parishads
Panchayati Raj,
public health and
family planning
Chennai
was have been trained in however did not
responsible
for
implementing the
project
in
reproductive and
child health, family
attend the work-
shop.
The workshop
Dharmapuri.
planning and
was inaugurated by
dSfZhtP8GePledoaovefa5eiaFiamfgslvvavneIlntyrleeaerciTcedulilnthatypcohahobiPnadtvrtpieesyiaodgeepeoeradvrdplnin8aatauesirsms9whmnmlcii,tonnantriaepipPstadivsTetcnleimRasheeednaadgnvuomeermfcirirdodmndheiaiaoaueblnealbnn-dnmootynytedhdIednntarnoedsttsdftecootorStutnihopwouptliaviumientilomocictdsrbsefsoitte.dbtohhnhiriyfeeeeAesmGeqswctnlabrfaurellatiiveeattontwicnnehrhatmiuttaeerddenos.,tlonmdifhGSPdsfsM(mooDtpiieterrasgluroaoveplentnhdrofkrenaaedktiliwlecgcmGci.ehoagctttseniphsehe,Pedd.mdeltlo,eaieanoCnefrldniqaahnpnhnuttatrgihiieUonistorenohbgPnntndullatiefpeRyoethrvnomhaNacrtfeeucaroeiorso,shriojsnlauevaPVienoPlstcyefdaymmtitramaancG)otctih,eiepcfbnecaiteherinedhnCanesaarbodssshIynnetltdohnaaaeiehdDnorints2nteegu,ttild0rdcsbaiortRto.eiataugtoilcamswRtoHtyflnhijieoonNaisaoseevrr.lj
water and good health; ante-natal
and natal care; post-natal care;
In his address, Dr Srinivasan
communicable diseases-their spread explained the rationale and the
and prevention; women's rights; salient features of the methodology
modern contraceptives; population adopted and the progress made in
and environment. These modules the seven districts where the project
were distributed to all the Panchayat has been funded by PH
members. They were also exposed
to a video film developed by
Gandhigram Rural Institute on the
Dr Rath spoke about the need to
strengthen
Panchayat
Raj
seven themes.
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IASP
Conference
to Focus
on ICPD
Progress
The twenty second'
annual conference of
the Indian Association for
the Study for Population
(IASP) will be held at the
Institute for Studies in
Population, Agriculture and
Rural Change, University
of Kalyani in West Bengal
from March 14 to 17, 1999.
Farewell to Dr. Wasim Zaman
According to the Population Foundation of India organised a function at India International
Executive Director of PFI, Centre on October 30, 1998 to bid farewell to Dr Wasim Zaman, Country
Dr K Srinivasan, who has Representative of UNFPA in India. Dr and Mrs Zaman (3rd and 4th from
been elected President of right) along with Executive Director of PFI, Dr K Srinivasan and Mrs Padma
the IASP for a period of Srinivasan with the members of the staff of PFI and UNFPA office in Delhi
two years (1998-2000), the are seen above.
highlights of the conference
will be two symposia : Progress of
Indian States towards ICPD Goals
(ICPD+S) and Optimal Analysis and
Bill Gates Donates
Use of Data from NFHS-2.
for Population
The conference is intended to
promote scholars to have discussions
on latest research findings and
promote the discipfine of population
studies and demography. About 150
participants from different parts of
the country and some international
delegates will participate in the
conference.
The Chairman of Microsoft
Corporation, Mr Bill Gates,
has donated $2.2 billion to a
family foundation specialising
in supporting population and
health projects world-wide. The
donation, in Microsoft stock, is
Population and Development
(South-South)
and the
International AIDS Vaccine
Initiative - the William H Gates
Foundation also provides
conventional grants to colleges
and funds local projects in the
believed to be the largest south area.
IASP is a professional body of
demographers and population
scientists in the country and has
about 700 members. It has been
promoting professional activities in
the field of population for the past
25 years by organising seminars,
orientation courses and conferences
on population related themes.
charitable gift in the history of
the world. The gift brings the
total endowment of the William
H Gates Foundation to $4.2
billion.
In addition to its support of
population and health projects
- including the Partners in
The Foundation is run by
Mr Gate's father, Mr William H
Gates Sr. The magnitude of
the gift can be imagined this
way: it is almost 100 times as
much money as UNFPA hopes
to get from the US government
next year!
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Panchayat
Members' Training
Continued from Page 2
institutions. A series of presenta tions
were made by the members of zilla
parishad, panchayat samities, gram
panchayats and resource persons
from the two districts followed by
the discussions.
Dr Srinivasan and Dr Rath
discussed with Prof Palanithurai the
need for strengthening Panchayat Raj
institutions in selected villages by
motivating them to raise their own
resources to achieve selected goals
of gender equity, female education,
reproductive health and population
stabilisation. A few model
panchayats could be developed with
Executive Director of PFI, Dr K Srinivasan, Director of Institute for
Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore, Dr P V Shenoi and
Assistant Professor, Population Research Centre, ISEC, Dr T V Sekher
at the state level workshop at Bangalore.
a small funding from PFI as seed
money and panchayats developing
their own resources on a matching
scale.
by Prof P V Shenoi, Director, ISEC
while Prof KNM Raju, Head of
Population Research Centre welcome
the gathering.
implementation
of selected
programmes on RCH, family
planning, health and environment
with PFI providing seed money and
The State level workshop
pertaining to Chitradurga district of
Karnataka was held on November
26, 1998 at the Institute for Social
In his address, Dr Srinivasan
briefly explained how the training
programme was commissioned in
different districts.
panchayats generating matching
resources.
The State level workshop to
review the training programme for
and Economic Change (ISEC),
Pune district was held on
Bangalore, at which the
experiences, findings and
"The challenge is how
November 3D, 1998 at KEM
Hospital Research Centre, Pune.
impact of the project for
to equip the Gram Panchayats
The training project began on
empowerment of Panchayat Raj
institutions on issues related to
population, health and social
development were shared with
to use their authority gained
under the 73rd Constitutional
Ammendment."
September I, 1997 initially for a
period of one year, which was
later extended by three months.
The KEM Hospital Research
the participants. PFI has
Centre acted as the Consulting
provided the financial support for
the project which was implemented
in four talukas of Chitradurga district
by two NGOs MYRADA and
GRAMA, with ISEC working as a
consulting organisation.
A series of presentations by
officials from ISEC,MYRADA,Gram
Panchayat President and Resource
Persons followed. The discussions
focused on the methodology adopted
in the training programme and the
Organisation while the Indian
Institute of Education, Pune was
chosen as the Implementing Agency.
Mr M Rameshkumar, Secretary,
Rural Development Department,
Government of Maharashtra
The Executive Director of PFI, training materials used. The inaugurated the workshop. He
Dr K Srinivasan was present. Senior presentations made by Panchayat emphasised the need for political will
officials of Karnataka Government members and officials were detailed to delegate the powers endowed
including Directors of Panchayati Raj and explained the extent of support under the laws to Gram Panchayats.
and Health and Family Planning that the Panchayat Raj institutions "The challenge is how to equip the
were also present along with officials received from the State Government. Gram Panchayats to use their
from MYRADA, ISEC and members
from zilla panchayats, taluk
panchayat samities, gram panchayats
and resource persons.
Dr Srinivasan had a meeting with
officials of MYRADA to discuss the
possibility of follow up of the project
in Chitradurga district where a few
authority granted under the 73rd
Constitutional Amendment. This can
be done only by providing
opportunities to elected Gram
The workshop was inaugurated villages could be selected for
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Michael Vlassoff is
UNFPA Representative
Dr Michael Vlassoff has taken over as United
Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) Country
Representative in India with effect from November
1, 1998. Dr Vlassoff has joined UNFPA at a time
when the population and development programmes
including reproductive health programme in India,
and world-wide, are undergoing a new generation
evolution based on the post-ICPD concepts.
A doctorate in economics with major in demography
from the University of Pune, Dr Vlassoff is not new
to the country. He had stayed in India, especially
in rural areas, while pursuing his PhD from University of Pune in the mid-
70s. He joined UNFPA Headquarters in New York in 1992 as Senior
Technical Officer in the Technical and Policy Division. Earlier, Dr Vlassoff
was Population Affairs Officer in the Population Division of the United
Nations. He has taught at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
UNFPAis currently designing and implementing its 5th Country Programme
(1997-2001). The UNFPA Governing Board has approved a comprehensive
population programme in India at a cost of $100 million over a five-year
period starting January, 1997. The main purpose of the programme is to
(a) complement the Government of India's efforts to implement the
Government's post-ICPD goals and operationalise the Reproductive
and Child Health approach which has been initiated to replace the
target-oriented family welfare programme of the past;
(b) support the Government policies for decentralisation of authority to the
system of local governance and achieve convergence of population and
other social sector investments within the framework of the Ninth Five
Year Plan;
(c) improve the reproductive health of men, women and adolescents; and
(d) contribute to the early stabilisation of India's population.
Reproductive health, including family planning and sexual health, is
integral to overall public health concerns. Within the overall framework
of ICPD Programme of Action and the priorities set by the national
programme, UNFPAwill support the Integrated Population and Development
(IPD) Projects at the district level in approximately 40 districts in 6 states.
Through these projects women will be enabled to exercise choices. UNFPA's
IPD projects at district level will take up activities to change the position
of women in society. Women's access to information will be increased
through health and family life education, taken up either through these
projects or through other national or local projects. By providing men both
information and services, and by sensitising them to women's issues, an
attempt will be made to enhance male responsibility. By making women
part of the formal management system of projects, the sensitivity and
responsiveness of programmes is expected to change. Wherever necessary,
critical interventions will be supported to increase women and girl's access
to education.
Conference
on Population
Stabilisation in UP
P FI organised a roundtable
conference on "Population
stabilisation
and
related
developmental issues in Uttar
Pradesh" on January 8 and 9, 1999 at
Lucknow. The details of the
conference and recommendations
therefrom will be published in the next
issue of Focus. A brief background of
current conditions in Uttar Pradesh is
given 'below:
Uttar Pradesh is the most
populous State in India with a
population of 164.04million in 1998.
The growth rate of population of the
State continues to be very high at 2.37
per cent per year adding 39 lakhs
every year. High popuation growth
rate and slow decline in fertility of the
State in relation to the large inputs in
family planning and health
programmes in the State are matter of
great concern.
The State has shown a slow pace
of progress and widening diversity in
many other indicators such as Infant
Mortality Rate (IMR), literacy level,
expectation of life, income, etc.
Despite all the well-intended efforts
by the government during the eight
Five Year Plans,. low human
development in the State remains a
serious concern to all of us.
The growth of income, both in
aggregate and in per capita terms has
been low in UP for almost the entire
period since 1951 except during 5th
and 6th Plan period. During 1992-96,
the period of adoption of a liberalised
policy in India, the per capita income
at the national level increased at 4.3
per cent per annum, in UP the increase
was 0.6 per cent only.
The absolute number of poor at
the national level has remained more
or less the same at 320 million.
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Panchayat Members' Training
Continued from Page 4
members and for resource persons
as well as to finalise the training
material to be developed for
Panchayat representatives", he said. members preferred the training in conducting the training.
Dr P V Sathe, Consultant, KEM
Hospital Research Centre, who
presided over the function, said that
the process of decentralisation
should reach up to Gram Panchayat
level and the Gram Panchayats
their own villages. The training
should, therefore, be as far as
possible held at the head quarters
village of the Gram Panchayat.
The resource persons who are
trained for this purpose should visit
Since the Rural Development
Department was responsible for the
training of Gram Panchayat members
in Maharashtra, all the activities in
this regard should be undertaken in
consultation with this department.
should have the freedom to plan for
the village.
Dr Arundhati
Mishra,
Programme Officer (Project
Development) who represented PFI,
said that nearly 3.5 million Gram
Panchayat members were to be
trained. Since the existing network
of Panchayat Raj and Gram Sevak
Centres are not able to cope with
this training, NGOs have to be
involved for the training activity.
Efforts should be made to give
training to Gram Panchayat
members in their respective
Gram Panchayats for training at a
time suitable to the members of
Gram Panchayats. In villages where
resource persons are not available,
centralised training for a group of
Gram Panchayats should be
organised either by a group of
resource persons or by a Panchayati
Raj training centre.
Since there were problems in
using video cassettes in villages, one
should not dependent upon them
Staff of Primary Health
The staff of Primary Health
Centres, Sub-centres and other
departments should be involved in
the training activities and in assisting
the resoruce persons.
The last of the series of State level
workshops for empowerment of
Panchayati Raj institutions for Sawai
Madhopur district of Rajasthan was
held at Jaipur on December 14, 1998
at the Indian Institute of Health
Management Research (IIHMR)
which has been the Consulting
Organisation for the project.
villages, she said.
Centres, Sub-centres and
The Executive Director of
Mrs Mitali Sen Gavai, Joint
Secretary, Rural Development
Department, Maharashtra said
there was a shift in the contents
of training. Whereas agriculture was
given top priority earlier, village
development was now being given
prime importance.
other departments should be
involved in the training
PFI, Dr K srinivasan attended
the workshop where the
Country Representative of
UNFPA, Additional Chief
exclusively. Flip charts, pamphlets,
posters etc. have been found to be
useful and should be freely used.
Secretary and Secretary,
.Panchayati Raj and Rural
Development, Government of
Rajasthan also participated.
The workshop made a number
of recommenda tions regarding
training of Gram Panchayat
members, training of trainers,
contents of training and training
material and involvement of the
relevant department of the
Government.
It was realised that there was an
immediate need to train all Gram
Panchayat members; the training
should be integrated and should
include details of 29 subjects for
which Gram Panchayats were
Guides on micro planning should
be supplied to all Gram Panchayats.
Subject wise guides should be
prepared for all subjects and every
topic should have details like its
importance, messages, facilities
available and responsibility of Gram
Panchayat members.
Ada y' s reorienta tion programme
should be organised every year at
the Taluka Headquarters for
reviewing and keeping the members
up to date on new developments and
schemes.
It was felt at the workshop that
efforts should be made to increase
the involvement of the State
Government. The State Health
Department should get the Primary
Health Centres actively involved in
the project. An alternative training
methodology should be evolved for
the illiterate resource persons.
Besides health issues, topics like
agriculture,
social forestry,
education, non-conventional energy,
micro planning, government's
schemes including poverty
alleviation programmes, small
responsible. The duration of training
It was suggested to organise saving schemes should also be
should be for a minimum of five workshops to finalise the contents of included in the training.
working days. The Gram Panchayat training for Gram Panchayat
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Parliamentarians Discuss
Minister and Chief Guest highlighted
the many dimensions of the
ICPD Plan of Action
population and development issues
such as low literacy levels, poor health
standards, low age at marriage, unsafe
A National Consultation
of
Parliamentarians and MLAs on
Population and Development was
organised by the Indian Association
of Parliamentarians on Population
and Development (IAPPD) and
United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) on October 14, 1998 at
India International Centre. The
Executive Director of PFI, Dr K
Srinivasan participated
in the
Consultation and made a presentation
on 'Policy Context for Population and
Development'. A number of MPs,
former MPs and MLAs from different
political parties, representatives from
the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare and UNFPA office in Delhi,
implementation.
The
UNFPA
Country
Representative, Dr Wasim Zaman, in
his key-note address said that India
has been a strong supporter of the
Cairo programme of action and the
reproductive health approach. It has
made a major policy shift by
introducing the target free approach
for provision of family planning
services. He expressed concern at
India's rapidly growing population
and suggested that marriages should
take place later, the birth of first child
should be delayed and spacing
between first and second child should
be longer. He also suggested that
experts and eminent persons
participated in the Consultation.
"Marriages should take place
The one day Consultation
later, the birth of first child
motherhood,
poor economic
standards and low practice of family
planning. Mr Gujral said it is
necessary that consensus concerning
these issues emerges among the
politicians, social leaders and
reformers.
In his presentation, Dr Srinivasan
said that the family planning
programme has now been considered
an integral part of reproductive and
child health services as an official
policy of Government of India since
April 1996. The programme by its
nature calls for enormous expenditure
in terms of trained staff, buildings,
equipment, laboratory facilities and
transport facilities etc. The
amount of Rs 2000 crores allocated
per year is much less than the
requirement.
was divided into four sessions :
(i) Policy Context for Population
and
Development
(ii)
Implementation Constraints (iii)
should be delayed and spacing
between first and second child
should be longer."
Dr Srinivasan said that there
is a need to fix the demographic
and health goals for each state
Role of People's Representatives
separately and then work out the
in addressing women empowerment, young people should be given
national goal as an aggregation
and (iv) Role of People's
information so that they are able to of the state goals. Specific state goals
Representatives in improving quality make responsible and informed
are necessary for any meaningful
of Reproductive Health Services.
choice. He emphasised the need to national population policy in the
The Consultation was part of a
series of activities being organised by
the United Nations, individual
countries and NGOs to mark the fifth
increase the availability of spacing
methods, improve the quality of
family planning services and provide
comprehensive reproductive health
country.
Dr Srinivasan pleaded that the
42nd amendment of the constitution
freezing the number of represen-
anniversary of the 1994 International
services.
tatives of Lok Sabha on the basis of
Conference on Population and
Development
(ICPD).
The
anniversary has been termed as the
Ms M Cristina Arismendy, Deputy
Representative, UNFPA highlighted
the objectives of ICPD+5. She said
1971 census should continue beyond
the year 2000. Some of the states in
India have done commendable work
ICPD+5. The activities are an attempt
to review the progress of the ICPD
the largest programme of UNFPA is
in India. She stressed upon the role
in limiting the population size while
some of the big populous states are
of parliamentarians
Programme of Action and to
in the still adding to their population at high
strengthen it.
implementation
of the ICPD rates. If the freeze does not continue
programme of action at the national then the census of 2001 will become
The Consultation
with the level. The action plan is an approach the basis of allocation
of
parliamentarians and policy makers to empower the women and provide parliamentary seats ·giving greater
was meant to understand their them with more choices through representation to the states with
perspective on the progress made access to ed uca tion and health higher growth of population resulting
since ICPD and to create in them including reproductive
health in politically penalising those states
greater commitment for better policy services.
which have done well in family
formulation and programme
Mr I K Gujral, the former Prime planning services.
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World Population to be Six Billion
The Population Division of the
Department of Economic and
Social Affairs hasfinalised the
1998 Revision of the official United
Nations world population
estimates and projections. These
population
estimates and
projections provide the stand~rd
and consistent set of populatIOn
figures that are used throughout
the United Nations system as the
basis for activities requiring
population information.
Below are some of the
highlights of these world
population.; estimates and
projections :
World population cUrrently
(mid 1998) stands at 5.9 billion
persons and is growing at 1.33
percent per year, or .a~ annual net
addition of 78 ml1hon people.
World population in the mid 21st
century is expected to be in the
range of 7.3 to 10.7 bi~ion. 'f.he
medium-fertility projectIOn,WhICh
is usually considered as "most
likely", indicates that ~o~ld
population will reach 8.9 bl1hon
in 2050.
The world population is
expected to reach the 6 billion
mark in November 1999. From
1804, when the world passed the
1 billion mark, it took 123 years
to reach 2 billion people in 1927,.
33 years to attain 3 billion in 1960,
14 years to reach 4 billion in 1974,
-13 years to attain 5 billion. ~ 19~7
and 12 years to reach 6 bIllIOn In
1999.
;. The global average fertility
level now stands at 2.7 births per
woman;.in contrast, in the early
1950s, the average number was 5
births per woman. Fertility is now
declining in all regions of the
world. For example, during the
k
last 25 years, the number of
children per couple has fallen from
6.6 to 5.1 in Africa, from 5.1 to
2.6 in Asia, and from 5.0 to 2.7
in Latin America and the
Caribbean.
The 1998Revision demonstrates
a devastating mortality toll from
HIV/ AIDS. For instance, in the 29
hardest-hit African countries, the
average life expectancy at birth is
currently 7 years less than it would
have been.ln the absence of AIDS.
The highest prevalence of HIV in
the world is currently in Botswana,
where one of every 4 adults is
infected. Life expectancy at birth
in Botswana is anticipated to fall
from 61 years in 1990-1995 to 41
years by 2000-2005. Bas~d o~ the
United Nations proJectIOns,
Botswana's population by 2025
may be 23 percent smaller than it
would have been in the absence
of AIDS. Nevertheless, because
fertility is high, the population of
Botswana is still expected to nearly
double between 1995 and 2050,
though at a rate smaller than in
the earlier half a century.
The results from the 1998
Revision shed new light on the
global population ageing processes.
For the first time, the numbers of
octogena~ians, nonagenarians and
centenarians are estimated and
projected for all countries of the
world. In 1998,66 million per~ons
in the world were aged 80 or over,
that is about 1 of every 100persons.
This number is expected to increase
almost 6 fold by 2050 to reach 370
million persons. In addition, in
1998, around 135thousand persons
in the world are estimated to be
aged 100 or over. The number of
centenarians is projected to
increase 16 fold by 2050 to reach
2.2 million persons.
n'
The Ultra-Rich
New estimates show that the
world's 225 richest people have
a combined wealth of over $1trillion,
equal to the annual income of the
poorest 47% of the world's people
(2.5 billion).
The enormity of the wealth of the
ultra-rich is a mind-boggling contrast
with low incomes in the developing
world.
• The three richest people have
assets that exceed the combined
GDP of the 48 least developed
countries.
• The 15 richest have assets that
exceed the total GDP of Sub-
Saharan Africa.
• The wealth of the 32 richest
people exceeds the total GDP of
South Asia.
• The assets of the 84 richest exceed
the GDP of China, the most
populous country, with 1.2billion
inhabitants.
Another striking contrast is the
wealth of the 225 richest people
compared with what is needed ~o
achieve universal access to baSIC
social services for all. It is estimated
that the additional cost of achieving
and maintaining universal access to
basic education for all, basic health
care for all, reproductive health care
for all women, adequate food for all
and safe water and sanitation for all
is roughly $40 billion a year. This is
less than 4% of the combined wealth
of the 225richest people in the world.
The country with the biggest share
of the world's 225 richest people is
the United States, with 60 (combined
wealth of $311 billion), followed by
Germany, with 21 ($111billion), and
Japan, with 14 ($41 billion).
Industrial countries have 147 of the
richest 225 people -($645' billion
combined), and developing countries
78 ($370 billion). Africa has just two
($3.7billion), both from South Africa.
- Human Development Report 1998
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1.9 Page 9 |
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Registration of Births and
paper work at the level of local
registrars in order to bring down the
Deaths to Improve
time lag in the reporting of statistics
from the registration centres and the
The Executive Director of PFI,
Dr K Srinivasan and Joint
Director
(Monitoring
and
Evaluation), Mr K S Natarajan
attended the All-India Conference
on Civil Registration System held on
September 10 and 11, 1998. The
Conference was attended by the State
Secretaries in charge of civil
registration, Chief Registrars of
some former officers of the office of
Registrar General of India who had
earlier worked in the field, provided
depth and breadth to the discussions.
Introducing the agenda for
discussion which aimed at reviewing
the statistical functions of the civil
registration system, Dr Vijayanunni
stressed the need for reducing the
consequent delay in compilation of
vital statistics and its publication at
the state and the national level.
A number of participants
commented upon the various points
of agenda. Suggestions were made
for the improvement of the system.
The Registrar General informed that
the various suggestions made by the
participants would be examined .•
Births and Deaths, eminent
demographers and population
Human Development in India
experts, representatives of various
central ministries and departments
Human Development Index 1995
and those from International
Agencies like WHO, UNICEF and
Kerala
63
USAID.
M aharas htra
57
The Registrar General and
Census Commissioner of India, Dr
M Vijayanunni inaugurated the
conference. He observed that even
though the compulsory registration
of births and deaths has been there
for more than a quarter of a century,
the registration levels are far from
complete. It was a pity, he said, that
we cannot claim hundred percent
registration when we are at the
threshold of the new century and a
millennium. Dr Vijayanunni said
there was a need to identify our
weaknesses and shortcomings and
redouble our efforts to ensure that
the cherished goal of hundred
percent registration is achieved in
all the states as quickly as possible.
Dr Vijayanunni mentioned that
unlike the earlier conferences of the
Chief Registrars, this conference was
a broad based one which was being
attended by experts and scholars in
the field of population and
demography who were expected to
provide useful suggestions during
the course of the deliberations. The
participation of international
agencies, national institutions like
ICMR, lIPS, Planning Commission,
Ministries and Departments and
punjab
Tamil Nadu
Himachal Pradesh
Haryana
west Bengal
IJl
C uj$lrat
cGal
en
Kamataka
(ij
:0
INDIA
-=
Assam
Andhra Pradesh
Rajasthan
Orissa
Madhya P rades h
uttar P rades h
Bihar
55
52
51
50
49
149
146
45
41
41
138
38
37
36
134
Hor-
Balance Sheet of Human Development
The Human Development Index (HDI) combines expectation of life at birth, educational attainment and state domestic
product per capita in a single index and is based on most recent data available for the states of India. The index
is similar to that of UNDP. Keeping in view the quality of data available in India, educational attainment has been
measured by a combination of adult literacy rate and middle school enrolment ratio, weighted in the ratio of 2:1.
On a a to 100 scale the index varied from 63 in Kerala to 34 in Bihar, the value for India being 45. Kerala has
substantially higher HDI rank, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are at the other extreme.
The HDI chart is an extract from-India: Human Development and Related Indices 1998 compiled and released
by PFI in July 1998.
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1.10 Page 10 |
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Population - Now and After Half Century
According to the 1996 UN
update, population projec-
tions for individual countries vary
more than at any time in history.
In some 32 countries, human
numbers have stabilised, while in
others they are projected to double
or triple. With the exception of
Japan, all the countries in the
stable group are in Europe.
The 20 largest countries ranked according to population
size in 1998, with projections for 2050
1998
2050
Population
(million)
Population
(million)
The number of people in a
dozen or so countries, including
Russia, Japan, and Germany, is
actually projected to decline
somewhat over the next half-
century. In another 40 countries,
which account for nearly 40
percent of the global total, fertility
has dropped to at least
replacement level - roughly two
children per couple. Among the
countries in this category are
China and the United States, the
world's first and third most
populous nations.
In contrast to this group, some
developing countries are projected
to triple their populations over
the next half-century.
For
example, Ethiopia's current
population of 59 million is due to
reach 213 million in 2050, while
Pakistan's 147 million are likely
to become 357 million, surpassing
the projected population of the
United States before 2050. Nigeria,
meanwhile, is projected to go
from 122 million today to 339
million-more people than in all of
Africa in 1950.
The largest absolute increase
is anticipated for India, which is
likely to add nearly 600 million
by 2050, eclipsing China as the
most populous country.
•
Source : United Nations, World Population Prospects : The 1996 Revision
(New York:1996).
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2 Pages 11-20 |
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2.1 Page 11 |
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UNFPA to Identify Priority Areas
in Population and Development
United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA) organised a
consultation of national population
specialists and experts in allied
areas with an interest in population
to formulate areas of research
needed in population and
development.
The Executive
Director of Population Foundation
of India (PH), Dr K Srinivasan and
Joint Director (M&E) of Mr K S
Natarajan
attended
the
consultation which was held on
December 4, 1998 at India
International Centre.
In his introductory remarks,
the UNFPARepresentative in India,
Dr Michael Vlassoff observed that
the International Conference on
Population and Development
(ICPD) Programme of Action
had discussed the importance
of population and development
linkages which need further
analysis.
In the post- ICPD era,
UNFPAhad decided upon three
major areas of emphasis :
Reproductive Health, Population
and Development strategies and
Advocacy. Under the new strategy,
the programme area of Population
and Development Strategies needs
to be more operationally oriented,
relevant to policy development and
in support of the two other UNFPA
work areas. The need therefore
was to support research that could
be applied rather than support
research that was purely academic
in nature.
In UNFPA's current programme
of assistance to India, Country
Programme V (CP5), around 75%
of funds are for Reproductive
Health activities while 10% are for
Advocacy and 15% for Population
and Development strategies.
UNFPA has so far mainly
addressed the thematic areas of
Reproductive
Health and
Advocacy, and as such there is
need to articulate more fully the
work in research areas related to
population and development. The
involvement of the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare in
formulating this aspect of CP5 was
an integral aspect of formulating
such a research agenda. It was
pointed out that the RH sub-
programme includes research
elements of an operational nature
besides support to the provision of
services.
The three major areas
of emphasis are: Reproductive
Health, Population and
Development Strategies
and Advcacy.
Dr Vlassoff also reiterated that
this meeting was a forum for
brainstorming and he hoped that
it would help UNFPA to flesh out
priority topics for further analysis
in the general area of population
and development.
Research
findings that were helpful for
advocacy among policy makers
towards recognising and taking
action to solve population problems
were particularly needed to raise
political commitment. This would
include research that can show
linkages between population
dynamics, on the one hand, and
areas of development, such as
poverty alleviation, gender
concerns, education, migration,
etc., on the other.
A secondary objective of the
meeting, said Dr Vlassoff, was to
help identify institutions with
which UNFPA could collaborate.
UNFPA's efforts in this regard
would be towards those who can
work with data, and undertake
innovative analysis using modern
statistical
methods
and
underpinned by solid knowledge
of other research in the field.
While Dr Srinivasan led the
discussion
on 'Population
Dynamics in India', Dr Saraswati
Raju of Jawaharlal Nehru
University led the discussion on
'Population and Development
: Economic, Environmental,
Agricultural and Land Use
Linkages', and Dr Abusaleh
Shariff of National Council
for Applied Economic
Research led the discussion
on
'Population
and
Development : Employment,
Women's Status, Child Library and
Education'.
Discussions were also held on
when India's population will cross
the one-billion mark. The
following dates were quoted: (i)
August 10, 1999 as per United
Nations projections ; (ii) May 11,
2000 as per the Registrar General's
estimates from its Standing
Committee
on Population
Projections; and (iii) January 21,
2000 as per recent estimates of the
Population Foundation of India. It
was decided to maintain May 2000
as the date enjoyed an official
status.
•
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2.2 Page 12 |
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PFI Project Becomes Self-Sustaining
A group of newly married women and adolescents attending a meeting
organised by Daudnagar Organisation for Rural Development at
Daudnagar in Aurangabad District, Bihar.
The project for empowerment of rural
. women with focus on family welfare in
Daudnagar, District Aurangabad, Bihar
continues to make progress.
The project, supported by PFI and
being implemented by Daudnagar
Organisation for Aural Development
(DOAD), has covered 20 new villages
where the fresh batch of animators has
been selected and trained in health and
family welfare activities besides income
generating activities. 1494 eligible couples,
mostly belonging to weaker sections of the
society, have been motivated for family
planning: 468 for IUD, 432 for pills, 105 for
tubectomy c"ld 489 for condoms.
The project has created self help
groups of women and provided them micro
credit. A bank loan for As 4 lakhs under
the Differential Aate of Interest (DAI) for
weaker sections of society has been
obtained. Self help groups have been made
in each of the village. On an average, 20
women have been given a loan for As
1,000/- during October 1998 for income
.generating activities like rearing chicken,
production of eggs, preparation of gram
flour, "sattu" and sale of vegetables. The
animators in all these villages have been
trained in Maternal and Child Health (MCH)
care and family planning.
Health and family welfare activities
have also been carried out in the 10
villages which were taken up for work last
year. PFI has stopped funding in these
villages since they have become self-
sustained.
However in UP, their number has
actualy increased from 53.5 million in
1973-74 to 60.45 million in 1993-94.
Lack of basic amenities in the rural
areas has been one of. the constraints
for the development of UP, specially
in the areas of education and health.
As of 1991, only 60% of the villages
had primary schools in UP compared
to 90% in Tamil Nadu and 99% in
Kerala.
Only 20% of the villages had any
travel facility like bus stand, railway
station or navigable waterways in UP.
Electricity for domestic purposes was
available only for half of the villages
against almost 100% of the villages in
the other two States.
Even today, agriculture is the main
occupation of three-fourth of the
population of the State. 46% of the
State income has been accounted by
agriculture.
At the end of its deliberations, the
conference formulated
a policy
framework to improve the quality of
lives of people in Uttar Pradesh in
general, and in particular to reduce
IMR, improve literacy and status of
women, promote use of contraception
and attain fertility rates comparable
to those of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
•
Training in Reproductive Health
P FI, with financial support from
the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, Government of
India, has organised a series of
training
programmes
on
Reproductive and Child Health for
Non-Governmental Organisations
(NGOs) working in slums of Delhi.
The training programms aim to
developa cadre of voluntaryworkers
who would have working knowledge
and skills on issues related to
development, implementation and
monitoring of reproductive and child
health programme. The duration of
each training programmeis five days.
There are two programmes each
month. The training is open to two
middle level managers working in a
NGO. There are no charges for the
training.
Formore information,kindlycontact:
Dr Amita 8ardhan,
Course Coordinator,
Population Foundation of India,
8-28, Qutab Institutional Area,
New Delhi-110 016.
Tel:6568181, 6867080, 6867081.
Fax: 6852766.
E-mail: popfound@deI2.vsnl.netin.
Published by POPULATIONFOUNDATIONOF INDIA, 8-28, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-110016.Tel.: 6867080,6867081
Editorial Direction & Guidance : Dr. K. Srinivasan
Editor : Ajay Sunder
Printed by Reproductions India, 209-A Pocket C, Sidharth Extension, New Delhi-110014. Tel.: 6840953, 6931025