India has emphasised that it has pursued the goal of population stabilisation through a rights-based, voluntary, and development-oriented approach.
These remarks were made by India's Ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, on Wednesday, in a panel discussion on “International Demography Trends and Public Policy at Tel Aviv University.
Singh said that India’s strategy combines the national objective of achieving population stabilisation with a target-free approach to individual family planning decisions, ensuring that reproductive choices are based on informed consent and access to quality services.
"This approach has been supported by investments in healthcare, education, women's empowerment, and expanded access to family planning," he said.
"India, home to nearly 1.4 billion people and almost 17 per cent of the world’s population, has followed a democratic pathway towards demographic transition", Singh said.
Referring to the National Population Policy (2000), the Indian Ambassador highlighted its focus on voluntary and informed choice, reproductive rights, maternal and child health, and social development.
He noted that "India's experience demonstrates that sustainable demographic transition is achieved through development and expanded opportunities rather than coercive measures".
The senior diplomat highlighted significant progress across maternal and child health, family planning, immunisation, nutrition, healthcare access, and women’s empowerment.
"Maternal and newborn health outcomes have continued to improve. Antenatal care coverage among pregnant women increased from 92.6 per cent in 2020-21 to 95.9 per cent in 2023-24, institutional deliveries increased from 88.6 per cent to 90.6 per cent, and births attended by skilled health personnel reached 91.3 per cent," he said.
"Postnatal care for newborns within two days of delivery improved from 79.1 per cent to 85.3 per cent", he pointed out.
"These achievements have been supported by initiatives, including Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN), and newborn care programmes such as Facility-Based Newborn Care (FBNC) and Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC)," he said.
India's achievement of replacement-level fertility reflects the success of its voluntary family planning approach, he added.
In further support of success of Indian government's initiatives, he noted that rotavirus vaccine coverage rose from 36.4 per cent to 85.4 per cent, supported by the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) and digital platforms such as U-WIN.
Highlighting progress in health protection and women’s empowerment, Singh said that household coverage under health insurance and financial protection schemes increased from 41.0 per cent to 60.2 per cent, supported by Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
"Women’s digital and financial inclusion also improved significantly. Women who had ever used the internet increased from 33.3 per cent to 64.3 per cent, women operating their own bank accounts increased from 78.6 per cent to 89.0 per cent, and women owning and using mobile phones increased from 53.9 per cent to 63.6 per cent", he quoted.
"Access to hygienic menstrual protection among young women also improved, supported by initiatives such as the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme under RKSK and the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)", he said.
Focusing on India’s much-discussed demographic dividend and future priorities, the Indian envoy said that India remains one of the youngest major economies in the world, with nearly 69 per cent of its population in the working-age group and a median age of approximately 29 years.
He emphasised that India's demographic dividend can contribute significantly to global economic growth and help address workforce challenges in ageing societies.
