More hospitals, fewer schools: India's population trends require solutions

There will be more people in the north, but wealth will be in the south: good governance can manage such rifts, write T N Ninan

Given the continuing growth and geographical spread of Covid-19 numbers, there must be doubt about whether the decennial population census can be held on schedule. Regardless, we have a good idea of what the numbers will be on March 1: about 1.36 billion, according to the technical committee of the National Commission on Population. United Nations estimates are usually about 40 million higher than India’s official census numbers. By either count, India would have added about 150 million people during the 2011-21 decade, the lowest absolute increase since 1971-81. In percentage terms, a 12.6 per cent increase (if it materialises)