growing at a faster rate than the other age-groups (Census of India 2011). This has
led to two important developments: (1) the proportion of those joining the labor
force and earn wage/salary has increased many fold; and (2) joint family system
2 is
losing ground and nuclear families are gaining ground (Census of India 2011).
Therefore, increased per capita expenditure at the household level has been leading
to acquisition of household assets like cars, refrigerators, etc., which consume
enormous quantities of energy on one hand, and release carbon and other pollutants
on the other. Now the burgeoning middle class in Asia, particularly China and India
is consuming energy that is more or less equal to the US energy consumption (UN
1999; NCAER, New Delhi 2011). The demand for new housing and related
development as a result of demographic change will increasingly come up against
environmental constraints in all parts of the country.
As per 2011 census, India has 24.66 million households as against 19.19 million
of the previous census of 2001. The overall increase in growth rate of total
households during the period of 10 years is 29 % of which urban areas account for
over 50 %. Percentage of nuclear families in India increased from 61 % in 2001 to
68 % in 2011. The total reduction in fertility rate of 0.71 % (3.39 % in 1991 and
2.68 % in 2005) has resulted in an increase of about 8 % in the number of nuclear
families over 15 years. The reduction in fertility rate is found faster in rural areas
than in urban areas. Hence, on the one hand, a reduction of fertility has led to a
decline in population growth, but at the same time it has also led to an increase in
the nuclear families with fewer members per household. Increasing household
income has resulted in the acquisition of electronic goods and personal motor
vehicles by individuals. And, the socio-economic transformation in the context of
technological change has been accompanied by huge acquisition of television sets,
computer, telephone/mobile phone and automobiles not only by urbanites but also
by rural people. Interestingly, the percentage of households that do not have such
household goods decreased from 34.5 % in 2001 to 17.8 % in 2011. According to
the latest (2013) report by the Planning Commission, Government of India, this is
exactly equal to the proportion of population below poverty line (BPL). Hence, it
confirms that drastic decline of fertility in most part of the country (except perhaps
in the backward states) has consequent increase in disposable per capita income and
empowered individuals to acquire household assets like automobiles and electronic
goods extensively. Therefore, there is a need to address the emerging issues of
population and development in general and seek answers to the question whether
demographic change in terms of fertility decline is a dividend or a disaster in terms
of its adverse affect on environment.
2
A family includes in one household near relatives in addition to a nuclear family or a family that
includes not only parents and children but also other relatives (such as grandparents, aunts and
uncles: (An Encyclopaedia, Britannica Company).
104
C.M. Lakshmana
led to two important developments: (1) the proportion of those joining the labor
force and earn wage/salary has increased many fold; and (2) joint family system
2 is
losing ground and nuclear families are gaining ground (Census of India 2011).
Therefore, increased per capita expenditure at the household level has been leading
to acquisition of household assets like cars, refrigerators, etc., which consume
enormous quantities of energy on one hand, and release carbon and other pollutants
on the other. Now the burgeoning middle class in Asia, particularly China and India
is consuming energy that is more or less equal to the US energy consumption (UN
1999; NCAER, New Delhi 2011). The demand for new housing and related
development as a result of demographic change will increasingly come up against
environmental constraints in all parts of the country.
As per 2011 census, India has 24.66 million households as against 19.19 million
of the previous census of 2001. The overall increase in growth rate of total
households during the period of 10 years is 29 % of which urban areas account for
over 50 %. Percentage of nuclear families in India increased from 61 % in 2001 to
68 % in 2011. The total reduction in fertility rate of 0.71 % (3.39 % in 1991 and
2.68 % in 2005) has resulted in an increase of about 8 % in the number of nuclear
families over 15 years. The reduction in fertility rate is found faster in rural areas
than in urban areas. Hence, on the one hand, a reduction of fertility has led to a
decline in population growth, but at the same time it has also led to an increase in
the nuclear families with fewer members per household. Increasing household
income has resulted in the acquisition of electronic goods and personal motor
vehicles by individuals. And, the socio-economic transformation in the context of
technological change has been accompanied by huge acquisition of television sets,
computer, telephone/mobile phone and automobiles not only by urbanites but also
by rural people. Interestingly, the percentage of households that do not have such
household goods decreased from 34.5 % in 2001 to 17.8 % in 2011. According to
the latest (2013) report by the Planning Commission, Government of India, this is
exactly equal to the proportion of population below poverty line (BPL). Hence, it
confirms that drastic decline of fertility in most part of the country (except perhaps
in the backward states) has consequent increase in disposable per capita income and
empowered individuals to acquire household assets like automobiles and electronic
goods extensively. Therefore, there is a need to address the emerging issues of
population and development in general and seek answers to the question whether
demographic change in terms of fertility decline is a dividend or a disaster in terms
of its adverse affect on environment.
2
A family includes in one household near relatives in addition to a nuclear family or a family that
includes not only parents and children but also other relatives (such as grandparents, aunts and
uncles: (An Encyclopaedia, Britannica Company).
104
C.M. Lakshmana