Many other smaller nations of Asia have overtaken India in industrial and economic growth in last fifty years. However, no one, not even China, can beat us in the population growth. We produce an Australia every year. This alarming rate of population growth is termed as ‘population- explosion’. We are a nation of over 200 crore people. We have to feed 100 crore mouths and provide shelter, and clothes to them. However, population explosion makes nonsense of all our development programmes and planning. The reasons for the population explosion are many. Better medical facilities and control over epidemics have made life safer and longer. Deaths by disease, famine or floods have been checked to the minimum.

A fool- proof and scientific campaign of family planning is the need of the hour. The central and state governments, the voluntary organizations should launch a vigorous campaign to educate the masses of the dangers of over- population. More births mean more people. More people means more unemployment and more problems of food, shelter and clothing. We must learn from China which has freezed its population growth adopting one family- one child programme. Those who produce more than two children should be heavily taxed, fined. They should be debarred from all social benefits, and from contesting elections for the legislatures and the Parliament.