Gujarat BoardEnglish MediumSTD 12 CommerceEconomicsPOPULATION3 Marks
Question
Examine Socio-Economic factors affecting High Birth Rate in India.
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Answer
$(A)$ Social Factors:
$(1)$ Universal Marriage System: Marriage system is universal in India.
It is considered a religious "Sanskar".
Society suspects and looks with doubt towards an unmarried person.
Therefore a man and a woman marry.
Physically challenged people are no exception.
In developed countries many women who have reached marriageable age do not marry.
In India every female marries.
In India marriage is not only social custom but also it is considered semi religious obligation.
In the advanced countries marriage takes place only if economic condition is favorable.
While in India the concept is different.
Irrespective of being in hard pressed condition person marries, he may incur in debt.
There is a proverb "An old man who dies may be a bachelor but a woman who died must be a married woman".
Thus due to universality of marriage system is the cause of high birth rate.
$(2)$ Early marriage and widow-remarriage:
Along with universality of marriage in India girls marry at quite early age.
There is law to prevent child marriage but it is not strictly implemented in many parts and child marriages take place.
For a girl the age of $18$ years is fixed yet in rural areas marriage take place below this fixed age of 18 years for girls.
Lower castes believe in child marriages.
As the girls in India marry at early age their fertility span is quite long.
As a result the birth rate is high.
In India, a widow can remarry and law supports widow remarriages and with the expansion of education widow -remarriages are widely accepted in society.
This has resulted into high birth rate.
$(3)$ Craze for Male child:
India is a male dominated country.
Due to three reasons sons are given more importance than daughters and preferred.
$(i)$ A strong belief in India prevails that a son's birth only can stop from reaching, parents the hell named 'Poo'.
$(ii)$ For procreation and in the craze for son.
$(iii)$ Sons are preferred for continuation of genealogy.
$(iv)$ To support them financially when they grow old, son is inevitable during illness.
In India blind faith and illiteracy prevails so much that children are considered gift of God.
Most of the people in India strongly believe that at least one son is a must to increase lineage and after death to perform the ceremony of 'Shraddh'.
Due to this reason the size of the family gets larger.
$(4)$ Joint Family System:
In rural areas of India joint family system is widespread.
The responsibility of upbringing of child is not only of its parents but also of the entire family, As a result child is never burdensome in a family.
As there is no economic responsibility of bringing up a child parents of the child become care free and give many births.
As a result birth rate gets higher.
$(B)$ Economic Factors:
$(1)$ Low Income $($Poverty$):$
When the income of a family is low the birth of a child is considered not a burden or an expense but an asset.
Majority of population in India reside in rural area.
Where the expense of giving birth to a child and bringing up a child is comparatively low.
On the other hand they are helpful to maintain family by being farm labourers.
In short in poor marginal family, the marginalized benefit of a child is higher than marginal expense of a child.
Therefore children are assets.
During planning, government has failed to reduce poverty and therefore birth rate is not reduced.
Even today in poor families very young children adds to family income by working on tea stalls on footpath.
$(2)$ Low level of Education:
Population growth and education are closely related with the increase of education.
The importance of small family is accepted.
The level of female education influences birth rate more.
It is proven by the experiences of various countries of the world compare to illiterate female primary educated, female prefers to give birth to less number of children.
The same concept is true for secondary and higher educated females compare to primary educated females.
In India, high level of illiteracy and low education $($primary school education$)$ are responsible factors for population growth.
With increase in female education, they give more importance to their career, material amenities, and so they are less prepared to take the responsibilities of children.
This keeps birth rate low.
In India there is high level of illiteracy and low level of employment of female.
Therefore children are not burden.
This leads to high birth rate.
$(3)$ High rate of Infant Mortality:
Out of every $1000$ children born in a given year the number of child deaths before one year is known as "infant mortality rate".
Compare to advance countries infant mortality rate is higher whether the child will survive or not.
This uncertainty sometimes leads to high birth rate even in educated families. e.g. In $1951$ infant mortality rate was $146$ which is reduced to $39$ in $2014$ in India.
Yet it is quite high in comparison to developed and advanced countries.
There are many causes of high infant mortality rate such as poverty, ignorance, inadequate health related services, less gap between two children, indifference towards girl child, frequent miscarriages, old blind belief of bringing up son, lack of adequate nutritive food etc.
In short, aware and unsatisfied motherly instinct, motivate females to increase the number of children for safety and security.
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