The Shrinking Population of South India

India has always been known for its rising population but, contrary to popular belief, the new scenario brewing in the southern parts of the country is both a problem and an advantage. An article in The Times of India describes the whole situation as 'un-Indian'. As it turns out, the population in the southern parts of the country is shrinking not because of population control but as a result of rising infertility in women. According to the 2011 Census data, a significant number of districts in the southern parts of India, especially in Karnataka, have lower fertility rates than the national average. Based on the theory that two children replace two adults, the national targeted average in India is of 2, but the current national average stands at 2.5. This average is decreasing in the South, with a majority of women in the southern states settling for a single child.

Karnataka's overall average stands at 2, with many districts like Udupi (1.2), Chikmagalur (1.4), Bangalore (1.7), etc, recording much lower than the state average. "Women are, perhaps, postponing marriage and, subsequently, childbirth. Many are increasingly settling for one child as they are socially and biologically past their prime by the time they give birth for the first time," said professor KS James of the Population Research Centre.

Effects of Decreasing Population

The national average is kept at 2 on account of the fact that two children would replace the two adults who are their parents and will keep the population at status quo. Although a control on the rising population is the need of the hour in India, experts advise against such a drastic turn around. This is on account of the fact that it will affect the demography of the population, leading to a rise in the number of older people and decrease in the number of youths. Often, this decision to have just one child is to provide better facilities and better standard of living to the lone child, considering the rising cost of living. What this will lead to is more number of parents being taken care of by lesser number of young ones. For example, if in a marriage both partners are from a single child family, then the entire responsibility of taking care of both sets of parents falls on them.

Infertility Issues and Treatment Options

In many cases, the decision to have a child if left till late, in order to give enough time for the couple to settle down in their life. This delay and other day to day stresses can lead to infertility at times. For such scenarios, there are several fertility centers in Bangalore that can be of great assistance. The infertility centers in Bangalore are among the best in the world and renowned for the quality of their services. With such modern and improved facilities at the fertility centers in Bangalore, it shouldn't be a tough job maintaining the national average of fertility throughout the country.