Abstract

The tendency of power of every species including the human one is to increase at a geometric rate, while under the most favourable circumstances usually to be found, its subsistence increases at an arithematic rate", said Malthus (1792). One of the darkest spots on the face of the earth but which was systematically hidden or covered over by the dominant groups is the existence of the great demographic areas of starving population, which dominate enormous regions. Food is the nation's biggest problem. According to a recent United Nation's Survey, 80 per cent of the people of the world have never had and will not have in the foreseeable future what an American or European family takes for granted as a good square meal. Till now the countries have concentrated on agricultural development on modern scientific lines and large scale industrialisation with foreign technical aid. But experience during the last decade and half has shown that in the desparate race between population growth and economic development, the latter has been losing. The addition to national income generated by both these approaches have been more than swallowed up by the increasing number of new mouths. Thus the biggest barrier in the path of rapid economic development is the existing large population. The country cannot lower her standard on living any further. Nor can any one suggest raising the death rate. So the way out appears to be rapid economic development and a drastic reduction in the birth rate.

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