A few days ago, Uttar Pradesh (UP) unveiled a population policy seeking to lower the state’s total fertility rate (TFR), and maternal and infant mortality rates. Let’s examine the ironies before moving to the economic policy consequences. This is below the 2.1 replacement rate at which a state’s population remains constant. India’s large population is seen as a drag on development, but that is because myopic economic policy ensures limited resources are distributed unevenly and unfairly. A lower dependency ratio should ideally result in higher economic growth, as a larger percentage of the population is expected to be working/earning and thereby consuming and saving.

Source: Mint July 18, 2021 16:07 UTC