tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post3752846407665121705..comments2024-03-27T15:36:44.737-07:00Comments on Haq's Musings: India's Rising Population and Depleting ResourcesRiaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-6495103072379021422022-11-15T13:50:28.241-08:002022-11-15T13:50:28.241-08:00World population touches 8 billion, India being la...World population touches 8 billion, India being largest contributor<br />India is expected to surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by next year<br /><br />https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8278279504304651957&postID=9114803736752675245<br /><br />The world added a billion people in the last 12 years. UNFPA said that as the world adds the next billion to its tally of inhabitants, China’s contribution will be negative.<br /><br />“India, the largest contributor to the 8 billion (177 million) will surpass China, which was the second largest contributor (73 million) and whose contribution to the next billion will be negative, as the world's most populous nation by 2023,” UNFPA said.<br /><br />The UN said that it took about 12 years for the world population to grow from 7 to 8 billion, but the next billion is expected to take about 14.5 years (2037), reflecting the slowdown in global growth.<br /><br />World population is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and is expected to remain at that level until 2100.<br /><br />For the increase from 7 to 8 billion, around 70 per cent of the added population was in low-income and lower-middle-income countries.<br /><br />For the increase from 8 to 9 billion, these two groups of countries are expected to account for more than 90 per cent of global growth, the UN said.<br /><br />Between now and 2050, the global increase in the population under the age 65 will occur entirely in low income and lower-middle-income countries, since population growth in high-income and upper-middle income countries will occur only among those aged 65 or more, it said.<br /><br />The World Population Prospects 2022, released in July this year said that India’s population stands at 1.412 billion in 2022, compared with China’s 1.426 billion.<br /><br />India is projected to have a population of 1.668 billion in 2050, ahead of China’s 1.317 billion people by the middle of the century.<br /><br />According to UNFPA estimates, 68 per cent of India’s population is between 15-64 years old in 2022, while people aged 65 and older were seven per cent of the population.<br /><br />The report had said that the global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen under 1 per cent in 2020.<br /><br />The world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.<br /><br />China is expected to experience an absolute decline in its population as early as 2023, the report had said.<br /><br />At the launch of the report in July, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin had said that countries where population growth has slowed must prepare for an increasing proportion of older persons and, in more extreme cases, a decreasing population size.<br /><br />“China provides a clear example. With the rapid ageing of its population due to the combined effects of very low fertility and increasing life expectancy, growth of China’s total population is slowing down, a trend that is likely to continue in the coming decades," Liu said.<br /><br />The WHO pointed out that China has one of the fastest growing ageing populations in the world.<br /><br />“The population of people over 60 years in China is projected to reach 28 per cent by 2040, due to longer life expectancy and declining fertility rates," the WHO said.<br /><br />In China, by 2019, there were 254 million older people aged 60 and over, and 176 million older people aged 65 and over.<br /><br />In 2022, the two most populous regions were both in Asia: Eastern and South-Eastern Asia with 2.3 billion people (29 per cent of the global population) and Central and Southern Asia with 2.1 billion (26 per cent).<br /><br />China and India, with more than 1.4 billion each, accounted for most of the population in these two regions.<br /><br />More than half of the projected increase in the global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.<br /><br />Countries of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to contribute more than half of the increase anticipated through 2050, the report added.<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-64129808942896454712017-04-28T07:31:19.857-07:002017-04-28T07:31:19.857-07:00#India's #fertility rate declines to 2.2 child...#India's #fertility rate declines to 2.2 children, just above replacement level 1.1. Population 1.7 billion by 2050<br />http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/indias-population-story/article18260468.ece<br /><br />Evidence from India’s last Census in 2011, confirmed by data from the recent National Family Health Survey 2017 (NFHS-4), shows that fertility in India is fast approaching replacement levels. This means that couples will have children who will essentially replace their number, to stabilise population growth. The NFHS-4 shows that in the past decade, the average number of children per family has come down from 2.7 to 2.2. With replacement fertility being 2.1 children per woman, this is good news for the land and the people.<br /><br />Even after fertility rates drop to replacement levels, the total population will still grow, and is likely to reach 1.7 billion by 2050. The thrust of this growth will come from the youth bulge, with 365 million (10-24 years old) already in, or soon to enter, their reproductive ages. Even if they have children only in numbers that replace themselves, the resultant growth due to such a large base of young people will drive the growth momentum for population. For India as a whole, 75% of population growth in the coming decade will be due to this momentum.<br /><br />In States like Assam, Gujarat and Haryana, which are about to reach replacement levels, it would be more effective to adopt policies for delaying childbearing rather than limiting births. Fertility reduction, where it still needs to take place, must come from increased availability and use of quality family planning services.<br /><br />When States are clustered in terms of fertility levels, one foresees a predominantly youthful north and an ageing south. Most of the current and future demographic potential is locked in the northern States and largely located in Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. In the south, there will be a dearth of young working people to keep up and expand the level of economic development. Investing in young people in the north to realise the demographic dividend will be a win-win situation for all India, north and south.<br /><br />From the policy perspective, this means that for India as a whole, it is time for the emphasis to be on momentum-focussed policies and programmes.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-71248579088934983352013-06-13T22:57:36.627-07:002013-06-13T22:57:36.627-07:00Here are a few excerpts of a UN report on populati...Here are a few excerpts of a <a href="http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Documentation/pdf/WPP2012_%20KEY%20FINDINGS.pdf" rel="nofollow">UN report</a> on population released today:<br /><br /><i>World population projected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050 with most <br />growth in developing regions, especially Africa – says UN <br />India expected to become world’s largest country, passing China around 2028, <br />while Nigeria could surpass the United States by 2050 <br />New York, 13 June—The current world population of 7.2 billion is projected to <br />increase by almost one billion people within the next twelve years, reaching 8.1 <br />billion in 2025 and 9.6 billion in 2050, according to a new United Nations report, <br />World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision, launched today. <br />Most of the population growth will occur in developing regions, which are projected <br />to increase from 5.9 billion in 2013 to 8.2 billion in 2050...<br />--------<br />At the country level, much of the overall increase between now and 2050 is projected <br />to take place in high-fertility countries, mainly in Africa, as well as countries with <br />large populations such as India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United <br />States. <br />-----<br />For example, <br />the population of India is expected to surpass that of China around 2028, when both <br />countries will have populations of around 1.45 billion. Thereafter, India’s population <br />will continue to grow for several decades to around 1.6 billion and then decline <br />slowly to 1.5 billion in 2100. The population of China, on the other hand, is expected <br />to start decreasing after 2030, possibly reaching 1.1 billion in 2100. <br />Nigeria’s population is expected to surpass that of the United States before the middle <br />of the century. By the end of the century, Nigeria could start to rival China as the <br />second most populous country in the world. By 2100 there could be several other <br />countries with populations over 200 million, namely Indonesia, the United Republic <br />of Tanzania, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Uganda and <br />Niger. <br />---<br />...Europe’s population projected to decline by <br />14 per cent. Fertility in almost all European countries is now below the level required <br />for full replacement of the population in the long run (around 2.1 children per woman <br />on average). Fertility for Europe, as a whole, is projected to increase from 1.5 children <br />per woman in 2005-2010 to 1.8 in 2045-2050, and to 1.9 by 2095-2100. Despite this <br />increase, childbearing in low-fertility countries is expected to remain below the <br />replacement level, leading to a likely contraction of total population size. <br />Longer lives around the world <br />Life expectancy is projected to increase in developed and developing countries in <br />future years, according to the report. ----<br />---------<br />At the global level, it is projected to reach 76 years in 2045-2050 and 82 years in <br />2095-2100. By the end of the century, people in developed countries could live on <br />average around 89 years, compared to about 81 years in developing regions.<br />--------<br />In terms of annual averages, the major net receivers of international migrants during 2010-2050 are<br />projected to be the United States of America (1,000,000 annually), Canada (205,000), the United<br />Kingdom (172,500), Australia (150,000), Italy (131,250), the Russian Federation (127,500), France<br />(106,250) and Spain (102,500). The major countries of net emigration are projected to be<br />Bangladesh (-331,000 annually), China (-300,000), India (-284,000), Mexico (-210,000), Pakistan<br />(-170,000), Indonesia (-140,000) and the Philippines (-92,500). Economic and demographic<br />asymmetries across countries that may persist are likely to remain powerful generators of<br />international migration within the medium-term future.<br /> ...</i><br /><br />http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Documentation/pdf/WPP2012_Press_Release.pdf<br /><br />http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Documentation/pdf/WPP2012_%20KEY%20FINDINGS.pdfRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-26833680670541993962012-09-12T17:40:19.576-07:002012-09-12T17:40:19.576-07:00Here's a Pravda Op Ed on Indians "inundat...Here's a <a href="http://english.pravda.ru/russia/politics/12-08-2011/118734-russia_india-0/" rel="nofollow">Pravda</a> Op Ed on Indians "inundating" Russia:<br /><br /><i>India dreams to get rid of tens and maybe even millions of its own citizens and deliver them to Russia. This idea was voiced yet again by Indian officials during the recent Moscow-Delhi video conference. The conference was organized by RIA Novosti and was dedicated to to the state of affairs in the BRICS organization (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).<br /><br />A question was raised during the conference about a possible immigration of a considerable part of the Indian population to Russia. Alexander Apokin, an expert with the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis particularly stated the following: "If some people in India will find money and labor resources to work in Russia, it will be a promising development of events. Hundreds of millions of people will be able to find work."<br /><br />Tatiana Shaumyan, the director of the Center of Indian Research of the Institute of Oriental Studies, said that such methods are already being practiced towards the Chinese in the Far East of Russia. "The Chinese use that. They bring capital and people and they work here," she said.<br />------------<br />"The persistent desire of the Indian side to get rid of hundreds of millions of people is very easy to understand. First and foremost, it goes about the population of the plains of Indus and Ganges rivers, which makes up 700,000 million. Most of those people live in horrific anti-sanitary conditions. You have to see it with your own eyes to realize that. Those who have not been to those areas can watch "The Slumdog Millionaire" to get the picture. In the movie, they build skyscrapers over the slums. In real life, though, the slums do not go anywhere, and Russia runs the risk of bringing all of that over.<br /><br />"The situation has become even more serious due to the climate change. It became much hotter in India than before. Forty percent of Himalayan glaciers have disappeared. Droughts occur more frequently than before too. The Indians have nowhere to go. They face a serious threat of national famine, so they are trying to put the cart before the horse. They will continue to put pressure on Russia at this point. Why Russia you may wonder? Because Russia is virtually the only country in the world where there is a lot of uninhabited land that is good to live on.<br />-----------<br />"The Indian government will try to get rid of the dangerous burden. There are many fundamentalists among Indian Muslims. It is simply enough to take a look at them to understand that. For example, practically all women over 12 years of age wear niqabs - the clothes that completely cover their face, body and even their fingers. The level of the inter-religious violence in the country is very high. All of that may come to Russia if Indians begin to migrate here.<br /><br />"Taking into consideration the speed of the growth of the Indian population, one may say that they will inhabit everything in Russia very quickly. It is incredibly silly to believe that those people will be able to develop the Russian agriculture. Some apparently believe that the Russians can't do it. I'd say to this that they have very good harvests in Orenburg, in Kuban and on Don.<br /><br />"Let's take, for example, other countries that lie on the altitudes similar to those of Russia. They are Canada, USA's Alaska and Scandinavia, for instance. The combined square of those countries is comparable to Russia's territory, with approximately the same amount of arable lands. However, there are only 60 million people living in those counties. It seems OK for them, they are happy about it, and their GDP is twice is large as that of Russia. Russia needs to learn the lessons that Britain has recently been given instead."</i><br /><br />http://english.pravda.ru/russia/politics/12-08-2011/118734-russia_india-0/Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-89095912177868567972012-06-05T20:07:53.558-07:002012-06-05T20:07:53.558-07:00Here's Dambisa Moyo's interview on China&#...Here's <a href="http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/06/04/dambisa-moyo-on-resource-scarcity-and-chinas-race-for-deals/" rel="nofollow">Dambisa Moyo's interview</a> on China's relationship with Africa:<br /><br /><i><br /><br />A: There’s nothing wrong about China going around the world making resource deals to support its growing population. What it’s doing makes a lot of sense. Yes, my concern is that other countries will not catch on until it is too late. In a zero-sum world, what will happen if China wins the race for resources? Other countries seem to be asleep while China is making a concerted effort. Some 24 ongoing wars and violent conflicts have their origins in commodities, and this trend is poised to continue. China is befriending what I call “the Axis of the Unloved”—countries and regions such as Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and parts of Eastern Europe that have been basically ignored by the Western economies. China is the leading trading partner and foreign investor in many of these countries—a very different approach to the West’s largely aid-based model.<br /><br />Q: The Chinese economic edge in this is that its state capitalism offers advantages that the Western laissez-faire model does not.<br /><br />A: Favoured Chinese companies have a zero or near-zero cost of capital. State-owned banks provide highly concessional credit lines, in the form of government grants or low-interest loans. Favoured companies also benefit from tax breaks and the preferential allocation of key contracts. Like the US$12-billion credit line extended to Wuhan Iron and Steel, a major steel producer, by the state-owned China Development Bank, for financing “overseas resource base construction.” And of course it helps to have a war chest of over US$3 trillion, while Western economies are struggling with cash constraints.<br /><br />Q: The Chinese political edge is that it’s famously untroubled by governance issues in the countries it deals with.<br /><br />A: Well frankly, in practice there is little to distinguish between the commodity counterparts of Western nations and those of China. U.S. and European countries are just as happy as China to strike deals with countries with less than pristine reputations—whether it’s Saudi Arabia, Venezuela or Russia. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but in this narrow sense, it’s unfair to constantly point fingers at China.<br /><br />Q: So you think that criticism of China on both scores—cheating, so to speak, economically and being too comfortable with dictators politically—is often unfair and wrong?<br /><br />A: Cheating is one thing, meddling in the markets is a whole other thing. Virtually all governments meddle in the commodities markets. Western governments are particularly egregious in this respect. The United States paid US$6 billion in commodity subsidies in 2010. OECD countries spend a total of US$226 billion on agricultural subsidies yearly. And in the EU, the Common Agricultural Policy sees some 40 billion euros spent on direct farm subsidies. So if meddling in the market is “cheating,” China has a lot of company. And the West has never had much of a problem dealing with despots and dictators if there is a benefit to be gained.<br />-------------<br />A: I think the reasons are quite clear. China pursues strictly business, symbiotic relationships, trading access to commodities for infrastructure, employment and other economic benefits. Take employment. The construction of the Imboulou Dam in [the Republic of the] Congo in 2010 employed 2,000 locals (compared to 400 Chinese). Survey results indicate that Africans much prefer to deal with the Chinese than with Westerners. In Ivory Coast, Mali, and Kenya, more than 90 per cent of respondents see China’s economic growth as “a good thing.” In Tanzania, 78 per cent agree, but only 36 per cent feel the same way about American influence. The difference is stark. Across the developing world, people want jobs, infrastructure and investment and the Chinese engagement does exactly that. ....</i><br /><br />http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/06/04/dambisa-moyo-on-resource-scarcity-and-chinas-race-for-dealsRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-5314613754325808992012-03-14T23:23:19.610-07:002012-03-14T23:23:19.610-07:00Here are excerpts of a Business Recorder report on...Here are excerpts of a <a href="http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/1-front-top-news/49590-pakistan-among-six-top-remittance-receiving-states-.html" rel="nofollow">Business Recorder</a> report on migration and remittances in Asia:<br /><br /><i>Pakistan has been placed among six top remittance-receiving states of the world in the year 2011 while the South Asian region is expected to receive $ 97 billion in the current calendar year, 2012.<br /><br />An Asian development Bank (ADB) report titled, <a href="http://beta.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2012/addressing-climate-change-migration.pdf" rel="nofollow">"Addressing Climate Change and Migration in Asia and the Pacific"</a> says that according to the World Bank's forecasts, remittance flows to East Asia and the Pacific will reach $109 billion in 2012 (up from $85 million in 2008), while South Asia is forecast to receive $97 billion (up from $72 billion in 2008). In 2011, six of the top eight remittance-receiving nations of the world were in Asia: India ($58 billion), PRC ($57 billion), Philippines ($23 billion), Pakistan ($12 billion), Bangladesh ($12 billion) and Vietnam ($9 billion)<br /><br />The ADB report says that by 2050 it is anticipated that 1.4 billion Indians will be living in areas experiencing negative climate change impacts. Moreover, there will be more than 250 million people living in hot spots at multiple risk of climate change in both Bangladesh and Pakistan. While most people will adapt in situ, the potential for redistribution of population through migration is substantial.<br /><br />According to the report, environmental factors are already increasingly important migration drivers in many countries of Asia and the Pacific, including Bangladesh, the PRC, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and Viet Nam. Floods, cyclones, and desertification have led in recent years to significant population movements, mostly from rural to urban areas.<br />--------------<br />In July 2010, Pakistan was affected by heavy monsoon rains, which led to massive flooding in the IndusRiver basin. The flood led to the displacement of more than 10 million people, with about 20 percent of the country under water. About 2,000 people perished in the disaster. The provision of international aid relief was widely considered as insufficient, and the floods took a very heavy toll on the country and its population, with millions of farmers housed in refugee camps, and crops and cattle destroyed.<br /><br />The report reveals that the climate-related disruptions of human populations and consequent migrations can be expected over the coming decades. Climatic changes in Pakistan and Bangladesh would likely exacerbate present environmental conditions that<br /><br />give rise to land degradation, shortfalls in food production, rural poverty and urban unrest In association with an intensification of the monsoon, river and local flooding will be increased in many areas, the Himalaya, northern Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Landslide risk will increase in association with flood risk in steep terrain, particularly in the Himalaya.<br /><br />According to the ADB report, the widespread salinization, land degradation, water stress, and desertification are expected to affect many parts of Central and West Asia. Increased cyclonic activity is expected to affect southern Pakistan. The mega city of Karachi in Pakistan is at high risk from sea-level rise, prolonged cyclonic activity, and greater salt-water intrusion.</i><br /><br />http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/1-front-top-news/49590-pakistan-among-six-top-remittance-receiving-states-.html<br /><br />http://beta.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2012/addressing-climate-change-migration.pdfRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-39132930118446938442012-03-13T22:11:03.172-07:002012-03-13T22:11:03.172-07:00Here are excerpts of David Brooks Op Ed in NY Time...Here are excerpts of David Brooks Op Ed in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/opinion/brooks-the-fertility-implosion.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=david%20brooks&st=cse" rel="nofollow">NY Times</a>:<br /><br /><i>Usually, high religious observance and low income go along with high birthrates. But, according to the United States Census Bureau, Iran now has a similar birth rate to New England — which is the least fertile region in the U.S.<br /><br />The speed of the change is breathtaking. A woman in Oman today has 5.6 fewer babies than a woman in Oman 30 years ago. Morocco, Syria and Saudi Arabia have seen fertility-rate declines of nearly 60 percent, and in Iran it’s more than 70 percent. These are among the fastest declines in recorded history.<br /><br />The Iranian regime is aware of how the rapidly aging population and the lack of young people entering the work force could lead to long-term decline. But there’s not much they have been able to do about it. Maybe Iranians are pessimistic about the future. Maybe Iranian parents just want smaller families.<br />----------<br />If you look around the world, you see many other nations facing demographic headwinds. If the 20th century was the century of the population explosion, the 21st century, as Eberstadt notes, is looking like the century of the fertility implosion.<br /><br />Already, nearly half the world’s population lives in countries with birthrates below the replacement level. According to the Census Bureau, the total increase in global manpower between 2010 and 2030 will be just half the increase we experienced in the two decades that just ended. At the same time, according to work by the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis, the growth in educational attainment around the world is slowing.<br /><br />This leads to what the writer Philip Longman has called the gray tsunami — a situation in which huge shares of the population are over 60 and small shares are under 30.<br />-------------<br />Rapidly aging Japan has one of the worst demographic profiles, and most European profiles are famously grim. In China, long-term economic growth could face serious demographic restraints. The number of Chinese senior citizens is soaring by 3.7 percent year after year. By 2030, as Eberstadt notes, there will be many more older workers (ages 50-64) than younger workers (15-29). In 2010, there were almost twice as many younger ones. In a culture where there is low social trust outside the family, a generation of only children is giving birth to another generation of only children, which is bound to lead to deep social change.<br /><br />Even the countries with healthier demographics are facing problems. India, for example, will continue to produce plenty of young workers. By 2030, according to the Vienna Institute of Demography, India will have 100 million relatively educated young men, compared with fewer than 75 million in China.<br /><br />But India faces a regional challenge. Population growth is high in the northern parts of the country, where people tend to be poorer and less educated. Meanwhile, fertility rates in the southern parts of the country, where people are richer and better educated, are already below replacement levels.<br /><br />The U.S. has long had higher birthrates than Japan and most European nations. The U.S. population is increasing at every age level, thanks in part to immigration. America is aging, but not as fast as other countries.<br /><br />But even that is looking fragile. The 2010 census suggested that U.S. population growth is decelerating faster than many expected.....</i><br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/opinion/brooks-the-fertility-implosion.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=david%20brooks&st=cseRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-61527500910003191072012-01-27T19:50:10.023-08:002012-01-27T19:50:10.023-08:00It is official: India has the world's most tox...It is official: India has the world's most toxic air, according a news report in <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article2837739.ece" rel="nofollow">The Hindu</a>:<br /><br /><i>In a <a href="http://epi.yale.edu/epi2012/rankings" rel="nofollow">study by Yale and Columbia Universities</a>, India holds the very last rank among 132 nations in terms of air quality with regard to its effect on human health.<br /><br />India scored a miniscule 3.73 out of a possible 100 points in the analysis, lagging far behind the next worst performer, Bangladesh, which scored 13.66. In fact, the entire South Asian region fares badly, with Nepal, Pakistan and China taking up the remaining spots in the bottom five of the rankings.<br /><br />These rankings are part of a wider study to index the nations of the world in terms of their overall environmental performance. The Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and Columbia's Center for International Earth Science Information Network have brought out the Environment Performance Index rankings every two years since 2006.<br /><br />In the overall rankings — which takes 22 policy indicators into account — India fared minimally better, but still stuck in the last ten ranks along with environmental laggards such as Iraq, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. At the other end of the scale, the European nations of Switzerland, Latvia and Norway captured the top slots in the index.<br /><br />India's performance over the last two years was relatively good in sectors such as forests, fisheries, biodiversity and climate change. However, in the case of water — both in terms of the ecosystem effects to water resources and the human health effects of water quality — the Indian performance is very poor.<br /><br />The Index report was presented at the World Economic Forum currently taking place in Davos, where it's being pitched as a means to identify the leaders and the laggards on energy and environmental challenges prior to the iconic Rio+20 summit on sustainable development to be held in Brazil this June. </i><br /><br />http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article2837739.ece<br /><br />http://epi.yale.edu/epi2012/rankingsRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-5702516604980346732011-11-08T08:52:03.228-08:002011-11-08T08:52:03.228-08:00"Literacy, as defined in Census operations, i..."Literacy, as defined in Census operations, is the ability to read and write with understanding in any language. A person who can merely read but cannot write is not classified as literate. Any formal education or minimum educational standard is not necessary to be considered literate. Adopting these definitions, the literacy level of the country as a whole was only 29.45 per cent with male literacy at 39.45 per cent and female literacy at 18.69 per cent. "<br /><br />http://lawmin.nic.in/ncrwc/finalreport/v2b1-5.htmMayrajnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-3323420346918102222011-07-18T16:55:30.952-07:002011-07-18T16:55:30.952-07:00Here's an excerpt from a Yaleglobal paper on w...Here's an excerpt from a <a href="http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/water-challenges-asia-powers-part-ii" rel="nofollow">Yaleglobal paper</a> on water shortages hindering progress in India and China:<br /><br /><i>India and China account for one third of the world’s population; each consumes more freshwater than other nations. Per inhabitant per year, though, India uses less than half what’s used in the US, China uses less than one third. This YaleGlobal series examines India and China’s water use, their expectations for rising demand and recognition that shortages will disrupt economic progress. The Planning Commission of India repeatedly warns that water will become a more serious issue than land or energy for India in years to come, points out Rohini Nilekani, in the second article of the series. India’s transition from an economy based on agriculture to a mixed one, with water use controlled by states rather than the federal constitution, already leads to conflicts. She urges planning for a low-water economy: Good governance and regulatory frameworks can prevent pollution and waste, while encouraging efficiency, reliable and fair allocation, and wise consumer choices. – YaleGlobal<br />----------<br />BANGALORE: By July this year, the monsoon has established itself vigorously over much of the subcontinent. The anxieties of the long, intense summer months, when nations hold their collective breath in anticipation of the cooling, life-giving rain, have receded. But the region’s1.6 billion people know that next summer, the worres will return.<br /><br />Water is ultimately a finite resource. With all finite resources, there is a continuous need for sustainable and equitable management, by capping demand, improving efficiencies in supply and developing substitutes. This exercise is complicated by the sociocultural beliefs, values and affinities around this precious resource.<br /><br />Currently, Indian politics is dominated by controversies over natural-resource management, particularly land acquisition. Although economic liberalization is more than two decades old, there’s little clarity or consensus on the governance and regulatory frameworks for the inevitable land transfers needed for the transition from a primarily domestic and agricultural economy to a mixed and globalized one.</i><br /><br />http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/water-challenges-asia-powers-part-iiRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-68882666440304128402011-07-01T08:09:52.658-07:002011-07-01T08:09:52.658-07:00WORLD POPULATION DAY
On 11 Th July every year w...WORLD POPULATION DAY<br /><br /> On 11 Th July every year world’s celebrates World population day. On the world’s population day, here are amazing free and effortless ways to build your heaven with single child family’s 70 benefits, as well as reduce the burden of world’s population. <br /><br /> Hunger, scarcity of water, unsolved illiteracy, ever increasing violence, regional disputes, unhappiness, competition, pollution ….. for these unlimited problems the route cause is ever-increasing world population. Controlling population is not only the responsibility of the concerned individual governments, but also the prime strength rather than member’s strength.<br /><br />Here are amazing, unlimited awareness tips for the newlyweds to build their undreamt heaven and absolutely free on earth with smallest family i.e. single child family adoption. <br /><br />BENEFIT’S TO THE CHILD: You can bring up the single child in the best way as per your dreams. It will prevent the child going on in wrong ways, because of families’ total concentration. If something happens to one of the young parents, the surviving parent can bring up the child with least burden. In the eventuality of the death of both the parents any relative can take care of the lonely child. There will be no necessity of seats reservation in colleges, jobs reservation for various categories as everybody gets enough opportunities due to less population. No unemployment problem. If the single child cannot get a good job, then he can pursue his parents’/in-laws’ profession. The eligible single child will be of high demand for marriage alliances with choicest offers. Child mortality rate drastically comes down, because of optimum care & caution. Parents neglecting non-performing child, will not arise.<br /> <br />BENEFITS TO THE FAMILY: Your family will never face hunger. Your generations will not suffer illiteracy. In the alarming scarcity of water situation you will have the least water problem. Family can enjoy maximum privacy, silence as well as maximum leisure. The entire family members enjoy smooth and happy life the satisfaction of their dreams. Parents can become free early from their family responsibilities. Tension will be absolutely nil in the family, therefore the family members will have peaceful and long life. Single child family is the sweetest family, as there will be less family disputes. It will reduce stress, strain, worries, and botherations in many ways. Single child family enjoys special status in the society. In case of any eventuality, remarriage of the surviving parent is easily possible. Even if, something happens to both the parent, surviving single child responsibility can be taken by any relative. Dowry related problems like disputes, harassment, deaths; couple separation will be enormously reduced. <br /> <br />BENEFITS TO THE SOCIETY: Because of the population control, pollution reduces and you can breathe fresh air and live long. Drastically reduces the birth of disabled children. It will result in physically, emotionally and mentally stronger society, as the single child concept will encourage breast –feeding of babies. As the human values grow up the crime rate comes down. Alarmingly lowering of female birth ratio will come back to normal. Because of literacy, intellectual, creative, scientific society takes shape. Philanthropic activities will increase. Many social problems like child labour, child marriage, begging etc will be eliminated. It will route out hunger/poverty/humiliation/stigma related to mass family suicides. Poverty/hunger related forced prostitution/sex trade will reduce. <br /><br />CAUTION: SINGLE CHILD FAMILY BUILDS ALL-ROUND PROSPEROUS HEAVEN FREE. BOON TO ALL, PARTICULARLY FOR THE POOR. TWO CHILDREN FAMILY JUST MAINTAINS STATUSCO.MORE THAN TWO CHILDREN FAMILY VOLUNTARILY TROUBLES INVITED FAMILY. SEE THAT UNWANTED CHILD FIRST OF ALL NOT CONCEIVED INSTEAD OF GOING FOR ABORTION LATER. <br /><br /> For full details of 70 benefits see the Awareness Mission website: www.srimission.orgKRISHNA MURTYhttp://www.srimission.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-59418523492381938492011-06-27T11:24:33.378-07:002011-06-27T11:24:33.378-07:00Here's Prof Anatol Lieven, the author of Pakis...Here's Prof Anatol Lieven, the author of Pakistan-A Hard Country, explaining water crisis in an interview with <a href="http://harpers.org/archive/2011/05/hbc-90008092" rel="nofollow">Harper's magazine</a>:<br /><br /><i>In many other parts of the world, alternate floods and droughts are not incompatible. The answer relates to both the extremes of the local climate (which climate change is likely to make much worse), and local society’s ability to harness or limit the effects of such natural phenomena. In the case of Pakistan, however, the biggest long-term threat seems likely to be drought. The World Bank in 2004 produced a study of the prospects for Pakistan’s water resources in the coming decades that is profoundly worrying, especially given a population which (unless the birthrate can be brought down much more steeply than hitherto) may well reach 335 million by the middle of this century. In principle, Pakistan can cope with it, because if infrastructure and water use are improved, there will be enough water to go around. But this will require profound changes in Pakistan’s state and society, and to put it mildly it is not clear if the country is capable of such positive change. And by the way, the World Bank’s frightening predictions hold true even without factoring in the unknown impacts of climate change.</i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-67968751036388565492011-06-08T22:35:44.824-07:002011-06-08T22:35:44.824-07:00Here's Tom Friedman of NY Times on sustainable...Here's Tom Friedman of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/opinion/08friedman.html?_r=1&ref=thomaslfriedman" rel="nofollow">NY Times</a> on sustainable earth:<br /><br /><i> (Paul) Gilding cites the work of the Global Footprint Network, an alliance of scientists, which calculates how many “planet Earths” we need to sustain our current growth rates. G.F.N. measures how much land and water area we need to produce the resources we consume and absorb our waste, using prevailing technology. On the whole, says G.F.N., we are currently growing at a rate that is using up the Earth’s resources far faster than they can be sustainably replenished, so we are eating into the future. Right now, global growth is using about 1.5 Earths. “Having only one planet makes this a rather significant problem,” says Gilding.<br /><br />This is not science fiction. This is what happens when our system of growth and the system of nature hit the wall at once. While in Yemen last year, I saw a tanker truck delivering water in the capital, Sana. Why? Because Sana could be the first big city in the world to run out of water, within a decade. That is what happens when one generation in one country lives at 150 percent of sustainable capacity.<br /><br />“If you cut down more trees than you grow, you run out of trees,” writes Gilding. “If you put additional nitrogen into a water system, you change the type and quantity of life that water can support. If you thicken the Earth’s CO2 blanket, the Earth gets warmer. If you do all these and many more things at once, you change the way the whole system of planet Earth behaves, with social, economic, and life support impacts. This is not speculation; this is high school science.”<br /><br />It is also current affairs. “In China’s thousands of years of civilization, the conflict between humankind and nature has never been as serious as it is today,” China’s environment minister, Zhou Shengxian, said recently. “The depletion, deterioration and exhaustion of resources and the worsening ecological environment have become bottlenecks and grave impediments to the nation’s economic and social development.” What China’s minister is telling us, says Gilding, is that “the Earth is full. We are now using so many resources and putting out so much waste into the Earth that we have reached some kind of limit, given current technologies. The economy is going to have to get smaller in terms of physical impact.” <br />---<br />But Gilding is actually an eco-optimist. As the impact of the imminent Great Disruption hits us, he says, “our response will be proportionally dramatic, mobilizing as we do in war. We will change at a scale and speed we can barely imagine today, completely transforming our economy, including our energy and transport industries, in just a few short decades.”<br /><br />We will realize, he predicts, that the consumer-driven growth model is broken and we have to move to a more happiness-driven growth model, based on people working less and owning less. “How many people,” Gilding asks, “lie on their death bed and say, ‘I wish I had worked harder or built more shareholder value,’ and how many say, ‘I wish I had gone to more ballgames, read more books to my kids, taken more walks?’ To do that, you need a growth model based on giving people more time to enjoy life, but with less stuff.”<br /><br />Sounds utopian? Gilding insists he is a realist.<br /><br />“We are heading for a crisis-driven choice,” he says. “We either allow collapse to overtake us or develop a new sustainable economic model. We will choose the latter. We may be slow, but we’re not stupid.” </i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-71481362637330268572011-05-30T16:45:08.349-07:002011-05-30T16:45:08.349-07:00Oxfam is warning that food prices will more than d...Oxfam is warning that food prices will more than double by 2030, according to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13597657" rel="nofollow">BBC</a>:<br /><br /><i>The prices of staple foods will more than double in 20 years unless world leaders take action to reform the global food system, Oxfam has warned.<br /><br />By 2030, the average cost of key crops will increase by between 120% and 180%, the charity forecasts.<br /><br />Half of that increase will be caused by climate change, Oxfam predicts, in its report Growing a Better Future.<br /><br />It calls on world leaders to improve regulation of food markets and invest in a global climate fund.<br /><br />"The food system must be overhauled if we are to overcome the increasingly pressing challenges of climate change, spiralling food prices and the scarcity of land, water and energy," said Barbara Stocking, Oxfam's chief executive.<br />Women and children<br /><br />In its report, Oxfam highlights four "food insecurity hotspots", areas which are already struggling to feed their citizens.<br /><br /> * in Guatemala, 865,000 people are at risk of food insecurity, due to a lack of state investment in smallholder farmers, who are highly dependent on imported food, the charity says.<br /> * in India, people spend more than twice the proportion of their income on food than UK residents - paying the equivalent of £10 for a litre of milk and £6 for a kilo of rice.<br /> * in Azerbaijan, wheat production fell 33% last year due to poor weather, forcing the country to import grains from Russia and Kazakhstan. Food prices were 20% higher in December 2010 than the same month in 2009.<br /> * in East Africa, eight million people currently face chronic food shortages due to drought, with women and children among the hardest hit.<br /><br />The World Bank has also warned that rising food prices are pushing millions of people into extreme poverty.<br /><br />In April, it said food prices were 36% above levels of a year ago, driven by problems in the Middle East and North Africa.<br /><br />Oxfam wants nations to agree new rules to govern food markets, to ensure the poor do not go hungry.<br /><br />It said world leaders must:<br /><br /> * increase transparency in commodities markets and regulate futures markets<br /> * scale up food reserves<br /> * end policies promoting biofuels<br /> * invest in smallholder farmers, especially women<br /><br />"We are sleepwalking towards an avoidable age of crisis," said Ms Stocking.<br /><br />"One in seven people on the planet go hungry every day despite the fact that the world is capable of feeding everyone."<br /><br />Among the many factors driving rising food prices in the coming decades, Oxfam predicts that climate change will have the most serious impact.<br /><br />Ahead of the UN climate summit in South Africa in December, it calls on world leaders to launch a global climate fund, "so that people can protect themselves from the impacts of climate change and are better equipped to grow the food they need".</i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-48114994957420720262011-05-21T16:37:58.756-07:002011-05-21T16:37:58.756-07:00Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) by US Dept of Ag...Recommended Daily Allowance <a href="http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html" rel="nofollow">(RDA)</a> by US Dept of Agriculture (USDA) is for 2000 calories per day with 55% cabs, 30% fat and 15% protein.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://chartsbin.com/view/1160" rel="nofollow">chartsbin.com</a>, South Asians have the following calorie intake and composition:<br /><br />India Pakistan<br /><br />2300 Cal 2250 Cal<br /><br />71% Carbs 63% Carbs<br /><br />10% Protein 10% Protein<br /><br />19% Fat 27% FatRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-60147471958080292472011-05-04T22:42:26.192-07:002011-05-04T22:42:26.192-07:00AJ: "You think Pakistan's economy is capa...AJ: "You think Pakistan's economy is capable of absorbing such a huge workforce? "<br /><br />Yes, Pakistan has far more potential than India based on the fact that it's only half the population density and plenty more natural resources than India...as obvious from the overpopulation index ranking. <br /><br />IFPRI said as recently as last year that India's hunger index score has worsened over the last three years from 23.7 to 23.9 to 24.1 and its ranking moved from 66 to 65 to 67 on a list of 84 nations....while Pakistan's hunger index score has improved over the same period reported since 2008 from 21.7 (2008) to 21.0 (2009) to 19.1 (2010) and its ranking has risen from 61 to 58 to 52.<br /><br />Clearly, India already has a huge problem feeding its people as seen from the world hunger index, and the problem is only going to get worse with rapidly rising population of India making it the most populous country in the world by 2025.<br /><br />The only thing that can save India from growing starvation is Green Revolution 2 which is not on the horizon, given that the best and the brightest in India are choosing to become code coolies for the West.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-67152861323693704502011-05-04T22:01:41.712-07:002011-05-04T22:01:41.712-07:00You can clearly see in your above post that India&...You can clearly see in your above post that India's population will rise by 38% while Pakistan's by 65%.<br /><br />You think Pakistan's economy is capable of absorbing such a huge workforce? Or are we going to see more LeTs and JeMs springing up for the lack of viable employment.Anand Jodhanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12501138507113412548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-42297989585124474662011-04-23T00:03:29.801-07:002011-04-23T00:03:29.801-07:00I cetainly beleive that Nuclear Power is essential...I cetainly beleive that Nuclear Power is essential for energy security in India.<br /><br />Uranium deposits are going to outlast Oil by a 100 years. With no coal deposits, Japan developed its industry with nuclear power in the mid-seventies.<br /><br />India, a developing economy, is power hungry too. Between coal and nuclear, I strongly beleive nuclear is less harmful.<br />Long term we will need a more sustainable energy source like wind. But the economics dont work out just now. Maybe in the coming three decades we can target 30-40% renewable energy. But just now we have little choice but to take the risk of a nuclear radiation.<br /><br />And opponents to nuclear power generation, kindly first suggest an alternative power generation method which is also feasible. Remember cost of Solar power generation is more than USD 0.3 /KWHr and wind is USD 0.18 / KWHr. Plus both need extensive planning, large capital spending and land. So were does it lead us.<br />And energy we must have.Anand Jodhanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12501138507113412548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-40322164963919638792011-04-22T21:55:29.479-07:002011-04-22T21:55:29.479-07:00Here are some excepts from BBC's Soutik Biswas...Here are some excepts from <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/soutikbiswas/2011/04/the_jaitapur_riddle.html" rel="nofollow">BBC's Soutik Biswas</a> on anti-nuke protests at Jaitapur in India:<br /><br /><i>...By all accounts, the violence was allegedly instigated by a right-wing regional party which is struggling to regain lost political ground in the Konkan coastal area where Jaitapur is located. The upshot of such cynical politics: one 'protestor' dead when police fired on irate villagers, at least 20 wounded, a hospital damaged and passenger buses gutted by the mob. <br />---------<br />This is tragic because there are much more significant and vexing issues at stake in Jaitapur. After the disastrous tsunami-induced meltdown in Fukushima, Japan, should India reconsider its push towards nuclear energy? (With the landmark nuclear deal with the US under its belt, India can now import reactors and nuclear fuel.) Will acquiring large tracts of land for nuclear power stations again set the government on a collision course with sections of the unwilling - and sometimes uninformed - farmers?<br />-------<br />Critics like Praful Bidwai believe that India's nuclear energy drive will sound the death knell of precious ecosystems - six 1,650 megawatt reactors will be built at Jaitapur on the west coast, it is planned, in what would turn out to be the world's largest 'nuclear park'. They say the government has forcibly acquired farmland using a colonial law to build the plant. Mr Bidwai, who visited Jaitapur, writes that the nuclear plant will be situated on fertile farmland, not barren wastelands as the government would have people believe. Then there is the threat the plant poses to thriving fisheries. Officials say no local will be displaced from his land, although more than 2,000 people have had to sell parts of their land. So are the protests about better compensation for land, and guarantees about safety?<br /><br />Most scientists I spoke to dismiss a lot of what the campaigners say, insisting that nuclear power is really the only option India is left with to meet its growing energy needs. An astonishing 400 million Indians continue to live in the dark, without electricity. "You have to choose the lesser evil - more carbon dioxide or the threat of radiation," one told me. Smoke-belching thermal power plants use the atmosphere as a "sewer" and impact climate change. Solar and wind energy cannot meet India's energy demands, they say. Ergo, nuclear power, they say, is the only sensible and clean option. That is why India is planning to set up some 30 reactors over as many years and get a quarter of its electricity from nuclear energy by 2050.<br /><br />Scientists agree the government has to tread carefully in building consensus at the grassroots and while acquiring farmland to set up the nuclear plants - there is no room for forcible acquisition of land at unremunerative prices.<br /><br />Then there is this shrill debate over the safety of the plant. Critics point out that the French-built reactor meant for Jaitapur has still not been approved by nuclear regulators worldwide. They say that the site is seismically hazardous - the area was apparently hit by 95 earthquakes between 1985 and 2005 - and since it will be built on the coast will be prone to tsunamis.<br /><br />Scientists dismiss these arguments as naive and ill-informed. India, they say, will not buy these third generation reactors until international and local regulators clear them. India's nuclear regulators say that Jaitapur is in a "significantly low seismic zone" compared with Japan and Fukushima. Also, the reactors will be built on a cliff 82ft (25m) above the mean sea level. With its 20 reactors, India, scientists insist, has a good safety record. (There was a turbine room fire at a plant in 1993, and a sodium leak in another in 2000). "There have been no serious incidents. There has been no radiation leak. Our record is clean," one official said....</i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-15138646778764628582011-04-10T12:13:31.747-07:002011-04-10T12:13:31.747-07:00Mr Haq
India bashing seems to be your favorite ac...Mr Haq<br /><br />India bashing seems to be your favorite activity. You seem to be spending substantial time marking articles which show India in poor light.<br /><br />Do you know any references which start with the line "As per one estimate/article...." are selective references and are only used by people who want argue for the heck of it.<br /><br />You would be much better off worrying about your countries finances, economic upliftment and literacy rates than engage in this kind of intellectual masturbation to appease your sense of nationalism.<br /><br />But you belong the baby boomer generation Pakistani who is more worried about how badly India is doing than how much Pakistan is improving.<br /><br />List the 10 most important attributes which you think define and signify development(social, cultural, economic whatever) of a country and lets compare Pakistan with India. I can bet you've already started thinking of parameters where Pakistan is better to present here, instead of thinking judiciously about the most important 10.<br /><br />Still, try to be unbiased and present the 10 parameters and we will try and collect data about these to compare. Also try and pick quantitative attributes lest you draw this post into a meaningless jamboree of words which you are sure to push to a stale-mate given your professional credentials.<br /><br />Await your reply, SirAnand Jodhanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12501138507113412548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-15231630674171309902011-03-31T23:13:38.734-07:002011-03-31T23:13:38.734-07:00Here's a Newsweek piece by Nial Ferguson title...Here's a <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/2011/03/06/men-without-women.html" rel="nofollow">Newsweek piece</a> by Nial Ferguson titled "Men Without Women":<br /><br /><i>In 1927, Ernest Hemingway published a collection of short stories titled Men Without Women. Today, less than a century later, it sums up the predicament of a rising proportion of mankind.<br /><br />According to the United Nations, there are far more men than women on the planet. The gender gap is especially pronounced in Asia, where there are 100 million more guys than girls. This may come as a surprise to people in the Western world, where women outnumber men because—other things being equal—the mortality rate for women is lower than for men in all age groups. Nobel Prize–winning economist Amartya Sen calls it the mystery of Asia’s “missing women.”<br /><br />The mystery is partly explicable in terms of economics. In many Asian societies, girls are less well looked after than boys because they are economically undervalued. The kind of domestic work they typically do is seen as less important than paid work done by men. And, of course, early marriage and minimal birth control together expose them to the risks of multiple pregnancies.<br /><br />When Sen first added up the missing women—women who would exist today if it were not for selective abortion, infanticide, and economic discrimination—he put the number at 100 million. It is surely higher now. For, even as living standards in Asian countries have soared, the gender gap has widened. That’s because a cultural preference for sons over daughters leads to selective abortion of female fetuses, a practice made possible by ultrasound scanning, and engaged in despite legal prohibitions. The American feminist Mary Anne Warren called it “gendercide.” Notoriously common in northwestern India, it’s also rampant in the world’s most populous country: China.<br /><br />------<br /><br />The question left open by economists is what the consequences will be of such a large surplus of young men. History offers a disquieting answer. According to the German scholar Gunnar Heinsohn, European imperial expansion after 1500 was the result of a male “youth bulge.” Japan’s imperial expansion after 1914 was the result of a similar youth bulge, Heinsohn argues. During the Cold War, it was youth-bulge countries—Algeria, El Salvador, and Lebanon—that saw the worst civil wars and revolutions. Heinsohn has also linked the recent rise of Islamist extremism in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan to an Islamic youth bulge. Political scientists Valerie Hudson and Andrea den Boer warn that China and India could be the next countries to overdose on testosterone.<br /><br />That has scary implications. Remember, most of Hemingway’s stories in Men Without Women are about violence. They feature gangsters, bullfighters, and wounded soldiers. The most famous story is called simply “The Killers.”<br /><br />It may be that the coming generation of Asian men without women will find harmless outlets for their inevitable frustrations, like team sports or videogames. But I doubt it. Either this bachelor generation will be a source of domestic instability, whether Brazilian-style crime or Arab-style revolution—or, as happened in Europe, they and their testosterone will be exported. There’s already enough shrill nationalism in Asia as it is. Don’t be surprised if, in the next generation, it takes the form of macho militarism and even imperialism. Lock up your daughters.</i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-63189049415893797482011-03-31T22:17:47.646-07:002011-03-31T22:17:47.646-07:00Interesting. The highest number of births are taki...Interesting. The highest number of births are taking place in the<br />lowest quintile of the population primarily because infant mortality<br />is very high. In other words we are adding more to the poor.<br />Interestingly, the overall sex ratio has increased from 933 to 940 per<br />thousand malesinspite of the fact that lesser girls are being born. I<br />had studied this earlier. This is on account of the large number of<br />adult males dying early on account of substance abuse (1.2 million),<br />road accidents (over 100,000), insurgencies, cardio-vascular disease<br />etc. PavanPavannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-23820684179423143332011-03-31T18:25:23.012-07:002011-03-31T18:25:23.012-07:00Here's Soutik Biswas of the BBC on India Censu...Here's <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/soutikbiswas/2011/03/indias_census_the_good_and_bad_news.html" rel="nofollow">Soutik Biswas of the BBC</a> on India Census 2011:<br /><br /><i>The good news is that at 17.64%, the rate of growth between 2001-2011 represents the sharpest decline over a decade since Independence. The growth rate was at its lowest between 1941-1951 when it was 13.3%: that was a time of famine, religious killings, and the transfer of populations in the run-up to partition. The growth rate was more than 24% between 1961 and 1981. So a 17.64% growth rate points to a slowing down that will cheer those who are concerned about how India will bear the burden of its massive population.<br /><br />The bad news for those with such concerns is that India still has more than a billion people, and this number is rising. Indian politicians and policy planners speak eloquently about how this population will fetch demographic dividends, and ensure India's growth story.<br /><br />But such optimism can be unfounded if the state is found wanting in the way that it is. It is very easy, warn social scientists, for this demographic dividend to turn into a deficit with millions of uneducated, unskilled and unemployed young people on the streets, angry and a threat to peace and social stability. "There is nothing to brag about our population growing and crossing China. Do we know how we are going to skill all these people?" That is the question of India's top demographer, Ashish Bose.<br /><br />The government would like to say that the dip in population growth has to do with pushing a successful contraception programme in the country. But social scientists say that with rising urbanisation, it is no surprise that population growth is on the decline. Increasing urbanisation leads to nuclear families in small homes paying high rents in increasingly expensive cities. Having more children does not help matters.<br /><br />The biggest shock in this census is the decline in the child gender ratio at 914 girls (up to six years) for every 1000 boys. This is the lowest since Independence and it looks like a precipitous drop from a high of 976 girls in the 1961 census.<br /><br />Social scientists and demographers believe that the decline in the number of girls all over the country - in 27 states and union territories - points to deeply entrenched social attitudes towards women, despite economic liberalisation and increasing work opportunities.<br /><br />They link sex determination tests and female foeticide - banned in India, but still quite widespread due to lax enforcement - to the rising costs of dowry, a practice which even the burgeoning middle classes have been unable to get rid of. "Marriages have become costlier, dowries have been pricier, so there is a lot of social resistance to having girl children in the family," says Mr Bose. </i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-76726755100637621682011-03-31T11:59:36.883-07:002011-03-31T11:59:36.883-07:00Here are some excerpts from a BBC report on India ...Here are some excerpts from a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12916888" rel="nofollow">BBC report</a> on India Census 2011:<br /><br /><i>India's population has grown by 181 million people over the past decade to 1.21bn, according to the 2011 census.<br /><br />More people now live in India than in the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and Bangladesh combined.<br /><br />India is on course to overtake China as the world's most populous nation by 2030, but its growth rate is falling, figures show. China has 1.3bn people.<br /><br />The census also reveals a continuing preference for boys - India's sex ratio is at its worst since independence.<br /><br />Female foeticide remains common in India, although sex-selective abortion based on ultrasound scans is illegal. Sons are still seen by many as wage-earners for the future.<br /><br />Statistics show fewer girls than boys are being born or surviving. The gender imbalance has widened every decade since independence in 1947.<br /><br />According to the 2011 census, 914 girls were born for every 1,000 boys under the age of six, compared with 927 for every 1,000 boys in the 2001 census.<br /><br />"This is a matter of grave concern," Census Commissioner C Chandramauli told a press conference in the capital, Delhi.<br /><br />Government officials said they would review all their policies towards this issue, which they admitted were failing. <br /><br />Indians now make up 17% of the world's population. Uttar Pradesh remains its most populous state, with 199 million people. <br /><br />The statistics show India's massive population growing at a significant rate - 181 million is roughly equivalent to the entire population of Brazil.<br /><br />But the rate of that growth is slower than at any time since 1947. The 2011 census charts a population increase of 17.6%, compared with one of 21.5% over the previous decade.<br /><br />The BBC's Mark Dummett in Delhi says the slowing growth rate suggests that efforts to promote birth control and female education are working.<br /><br />In the field of education there was good news, with the census showing the literacy rate going up to 74% from about 65% in the last count.<br /><br />India launched the 2011 census last year. The exercise costs in the region of 22bn rupees ($490m; £300m).<br /><br />Some 2.7 million officials visited households in about 7,000 towns and 600,000 villages, classifying the population according to gender, religion, education and occupation.<br /><br />The exercise, conducted every 10 years, faces big challenges, not least India's vast area and diversity of cultures.<br /><br />Census officials also have to contend with high levels of illiteracy and millions of homeless people - as well as insurgencies by Maoists and other rebels which have left large parts of the country unsafe.</i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-49424630793532443332011-02-27T18:29:27.224-08:002011-02-27T18:29:27.224-08:00I dont care about problems of pakistan,how its fal...I dont care about problems of pakistan,how its falling apart and its own population crisis which is growing faster than ours but since we having lower area density,need to rethink our strategy on population control.<br /><br />Damn,we dont need more than 1.2 billion people.we cant even employ 100 million people in all sectors we have rest 1100million people are wasted laying eggs and practice agriculture like wasted labors.<br /><br />Its time congress govt stop appeasing muslims,poor hindus whose only entertainment is to lay as many kids as they want and make the country scum of infection.<br /><br />Don't they understand that we have less resources.I personally donate 500 dollars every year to a NGO and make it sure that it goes to couple of deserving family who promise not to have more than 1 children for atleast 5 year. our indian government is corrupt ,interested in vote bank politics.it is corrupt,and it is good for boasting .There is no ground reality.India has not been able to emulate a decent hardware electronics industry.Government can lobby rich corporates and cause 50 billion dollar losses but it cant pay 1 billion dollar incentive to some fab manifacturing companies who only have the potential to employ the massive population we possess.<br /><br />These people cant fit in service industry and electonics ,automobiles, and massive industrialization are the only ways to give them food.<br /><br /><br />I would certainly appeal to young indians who are better off to contribute in population control for welfare of our society.<br /><br />And We all really need to clean this mess political system which is 100% corrupt.its time for young indians to take part in politics and kick the buffoons out from politics.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com