Population in India"s development

Chapter two examines existing strategies for reducing two key indices of future population growth - mortality and fertility. The discussion of mortality covers general strategies (the conventional wisdom of employing selective health interventions is debunked) and those aimed at reducing childhood malnutrition and poor water supply and related health problems; the social factors affecting high mortality are also examined. The treatment of fertility covers fertility trends and differentials and analyzes at length the prospects for fertility reduction, including positive signs (changing attitudes toward family size and the role of women) and those that are less sanguine (relatively low levels of knowledge of contraception and the dismal state of family planning education activities). The final chapter discusses formal measures which have been taken to control the fertility rate, including the national family planning program. A 4-page list of references (1964-85) is appended.