<p>The population has tripled since India gained independence in 1947 and the country currently hosts a massive 17% of the world's population.
You can see where this is going - overpopulation leads to more unemployment, more rigorous peer competition (especially for future students; as if it wasn't bad enough already), a higher illiteracy rate and even more slums/villagers. At this rate, India is expected to be the first and only country in the world to hit the 2 billion population mark.</p>
<p>By 2030, most of us will be in the workforce (and most likely with kids), this poses a problem for our generation itself. China somehow managed to control its population-burst rate by limiting the amount of children a couple can have based on family income (correct me if I'm wrong, but thats what I think happened). Should India take the same steps as well? In relation to another thread on here, a ton of us are undecided on whether or not we'll ever go back to India for jobs and what not...so this definitely affects international Indian students. What do you think should be done?</p>
<p>There’s no one thing that can be done. You need to target everything from rural illiteracy to poor urban governance. Its a Herculean task, but a fragment of the society IS working earnestly in that direction. Hopefully I’ll be able to continue my own little contributions before I leave India(And maybe from the US too). My objective for going abroad to a large extent is to equip myself better to solve India’s problems :)</p>
<p>Lol, as a funny aside, did anyone else study ‘lack of recreation in villages’ as a cause for overpopulation in 10th grade bio? Yeah, we were all at that age when we ■■■■■■■■■ at any sexual reference back then.</p>
<p>The problem with China’s one-child-policy is that it has created severe demographic distortions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Gender imbalance. Due to cultural preference for boys, there are tens of millions of single men who will not be able to find a wife (which does not bode well for social stability)</p></li>
<li><p>Rapidly aging population. “China will grow old before it grows rich.” Also known as the 4-2-1 problem (4 grandparents and 2 parents all retired, supported by 1 child in the workforce). China will have the same problems that Europe and Japan (and to a lesser degree, the US) are facing in too many retirees and not enough workers to support their welfare. INDIA will have a full, young, and (hopefully) educated workforce.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Another huge problem is pollution. You think India’s environment is bad? Compared to Beijing, Bombay is an environmental utopia.</p>
<p>I am a firang who is happy to work in India. It is a democracy, kind of speaks English, and will be a better friend of America and a better global player than un-democratic China.</p>
<p>I think in 100 years Americans will be complaining that they are India’s “poodle” in the relationship! But a world dominated by democracies is better than one dominated by the Middle Kingdom</p>
<p>Like Admiral Mehta, I am more bullish on India than China</p>
<p>Oh, I thought you were talking generally. My apologies. Agree with the issue surrounding perception of India’s situation, though. I guess the fact that ilovebagels is residing and working here helps immensely.</p>
Gender imbalance. Due to cultural preference for boys, there are tens of millions of single men who will not be able to find a wife (which does not bode well for social stability)
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<p>Not only in China, but this exists in parts of India as well. No matter how populous the country gets, males will always outnumber females with the ratio at which we are at now (and of course, continuing cultural preference like you said).</p>
<p>
[QUOTE=ilovebagels]
Rapidly aging population. “China will grow old before it grows rich.” Also known as the 4-2-1 problem (4 grandparents and 2 parents all retired, supported by 1 child in the workforce). China will have the same problems that Europe and Japan (and to a lesser degree, the US) are facing in too many retirees and not enough workers to support their welfare. INDIA will have a full, young, and (hopefully) educated workforce.
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<p>I see where thats coming from. Yes, India will indeed have a powerful and intellectual youth workforce, but are there really that many job opportunities to go around for all those people? Competitiveness will increase, can’t deny that. Imo, the current stress levels that Indian college-goers face is bad enough already; more pressure to do better will just hurt them.</p>
<p>Basically, you think that there really is nothing that can be done and you want this rate of population growth to continue so that our future youth can support their parents/grandparents better?
[On a side note, you’re the most enthusiastic “firangi” I’ve ever seen, lol]</p>
But a world dominated by democracies is better than one dominated by the Middle Kingdom</p>