New Delhi: Even as the population of the country is over 140 crore, making India the most populous country across the globe. A 2021 report by the Civil Registration has revealed that in several districts across India, the number of deaths is more than the number of newborns. Most of these districts are in the southern part of the country.
As per the report published in ‘The Times of India’, there are as many as 49 such districts across the country. Among these districts, 17 are from Tamil Nadu, 7 from Karnataka, 6 from Kerala, 5 from Gujarat, 2 each from Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry and Goa, and 1 each from Telangana, Odisha, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal and Sikkim. In 2019, the figure was only for seven districts.
Southern states most affected
The figures suggest that southern states have been the most affected by this decline. With the population decreasing in 17 of 37 districts of Tamil Nadu, the same suggests that the population is decreasing in almost half of the state. On several occasions, the state Chief Minister, MK Stalin, has also said that the people of Tamil Nadu must produce as many children as possible.
Looking at the 2019 data, it shows that there were only 7 districts in India where the number of births was less as compared to the number of deaths, while the number reached 49 two years later. In 2019, there was not a single district in Tamil Nadu where the number of deaths was more than the number of births, but in 2021 this figure has increased unexpectedly to 17 districts. In Karnataka, this figure has increased from 3 districts to 7 districts. In Kerala, this figure has increased from one district to 6 districts.
On the contrary, the continuous increase is seen in the northern states, and there has been no decrease at all. A total of 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh and 51 districts of Madhya Pradesh are witnessing an increase. Apart from this, the situation is the same in many other states, including Bihar.
