Population Growth in India – a boon or a

curse??
India is the second-most populous country in the world with a population of
approximately 1.39 billion. Indian population is equivalent to 17.7 per cent of
the total world population. Population growth affects a country’s development
in both positive and negative manners. It is estimated that India’s population
will reach nearly 1.5 billion by 2030. These statistics can either be India’s
strength or simply its Achilles heel.
India’s population remained almost stationary since 1800 at about 125 million
for 50 years. The decade between 1911 and 1921 was the only census period
in which India’s population fell, mostly due to devastation caused by the
Spanish flu pandemic. After 1921 it rose gradually due to falling mortality rates
as a result of improvements in health, infrastructure and sanitation. However,
the population of India saw its largest rate of growth in the years following the
country’s independence. The year 1951 is also termed as population explosion
year. By the 2001 census, it had surpassed 1 Billion. Although there has been
a considerable drop in the birth rate, a much more rapid decline in the death
rate has resulted in a rise in the rate of population growth.
People tend to think that India’s ever-growing population is a burden but the
population is also an asset for the country. Increased population means a
large labour force for the industrial sector. Due to immense availability, labour
is cheaper in India which attracts foreign companies to establish their bases in
the country. Also, cheap labour shifts the usage of capital from wages to
advancement in terms of technology. India enjoys one of the youngest global
populations with average national age of around 29 years. India’s working-age
population has numerically outstripped its non-working age population. A
young workforce means innovative minds. Moreover, because of its huge
population, India is good at many things. We have excelled in various fields
like sports, film industry, science, astronomy etc. Population growth is directly
related to technological advancement. The rising population promotes the
need for some sort of technological change to meet the rising demands for
certain goods and services.
The growth in the population of India is a great power for the country but it has
adverse effects too. Generating employment for such a gigantic population in a
country like India is a strenuous task. India has a high number of illiterate and
unskilled labourers. The number of job seekers is increasing at such a fast
pace that despite all efforts towards planned development, it has not been
possible to employ all. Open unemployment in urban areas and disguised
unemployment in rural areas are few images that represent the problem of
unemployment in India. The country's population growth is also imposing an
increasing burden on the country's limited and continually degrading natural
resource base. A rise in population also exerts pressure on the land. On one
hand, per capita availability of land goes on diminishing and on the other, the
problem of fragmentation of land holdings goes on increasing. More and more
agricultural land comes under the construction of industries, roads, cities and
other infrastructure. Moreover, increased population means more mouths to
feed which creates pressure upon the available stock of food and also affects
economic development. Inadequate supply of food leads to undernourishment
which reduces the productivity of people. The deficiency of food compels the
country to import food placing an unnecessary strain on the foreign exchange
resources. The increase in population results in increased demand for food
products, clothes, houses, etc. but its supply cannot be increased due to lack
of factors like raw materials, skilled labour, capital, etc. The cost and prices
rise which raise the cost of living of the masses. This lowers the per capita
income resulting in a lower standard of living. Another important factor is that
saving becomes difficult when there are more children in the households and
this causes social investment funds to be diverted away from high productivity
uses.
In India rapid population growth has thus hampered economic growth and this
prevented any substantial reduction in poverty of the masses. The outcomes
of high population growth rates are an increasing number of people below the
poverty line, an increasing population density, and pressure on natural
resources. While the population explosion can give us many development
opportunities, it also takes a toll on our resources. The population can be our
strength only when we have resources and power to feed, provide the basic
facilities, health care and jobs. This will mould them into an asset. But in
reality, we don’t have the necessary resources to do this. So we must put our
efforts into the prevention of further increase of the population. We need to
strike a balance between quality and quantity. In order for India to reap the
benefits of population growth, it needs to be able to harness the abilities of its
people. Policies and programs that influence health, education, the status of
women, and the economic value of children in turn influence attitudes toward
childbearing, family planning, and people's ability to control family size.
Therefore, efforts to reduce fertility through explicit population policies should
be integrated with policies to improve health, education, and the status of
women.
 OLYMPIC 2021 – GATEWAY TO SPORTS
IN INDIA

Abhinav Bindra’s historic gold medal in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics was the
only individual gold medal win India had. But this has changed now with
Neeraj Chopra’s flawless performance in the javelin throw at the Tokyo games
that landed him on the top spot at the podium. The star javelin thrower scripted
history for India by winning the country its first-ever gold medal in athletics.
Many became emotional on hearing the national anthem at the Olympics for
the first time since 2008. After failing to make a single clean and jerk lift at the
Rio Olympics 2016, Mirabai Chanu has given an outstanding performance at
the Olympics this year. The pin-sized athlete ended India's 21-year wait by
winning a bronze in the 49 kg weightlifting category making her the second
Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleshwari to win an Olympic medal. The
Olympics became even more successful for India when the men's hockey
team bagged the much-awaited medal in hockey. Leaving in dust four decades
of pain and disappointment the hockey team clinched a bronze by defeating
Germany. Even the women's hockey team made history by defeating Australia
but could not secure a medal. Exceptional performance by the wrestlers has
added a silver lining. Ravi Dahiya went on to become India's second silver
medal-winning wrestler after Sushil Kumar. Bajrang Punia's bronze was more
or less guaranteed. The colour of the medal was the only speculation. The
icing on the cake was the debut Olympic medal of Lovlina Borgohain making
her the third Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal. Indian ace shuttler P. V.
Sindhu won a bronze becoming the first Indian woman to have won two
individual medals in Olympics. It also put her in a unique position among the
pantheon of some of India's greatest sportspersons.
India's performance at the Tokyo Olympics is considered the country's best so
far. There were tears of joy, nostalgia and above all a sense of renewed pride.
It must have taken their blood, sweat and tears to reach this position and they
deserve it all. They have concocted a new path in the history of Indian sports.
A path that will be devotedly followed by thousands of new players to come.
The exceptional showcase of talent is an inspiration for future generations.
India is not there yet but is inching closer.

Will Digital currency replace print

currency ??
We have been seeing how the world is heightening and advancing with the
utilization of computerized resources where everything is becoming paperless
now., in a similar race, cryptographic money is the freshest and most sensible
structure developing to the advanced installment region. The technological
revolution has even reached the financial system. We evolved from the barter
system to the use of cash. But now even print money is slowly being replaced
by digital money.
Digital currency refers to any means of payment that exists in purely electronic
form. It is intangible and is available only in digital form like electronic wallets.
It is accessible only through computers or mobile phones. In contrast, the print
currency that is banknotes or minted coins are available in physical form and
can be used for transactions only by their holders. A digital currency has many
congenital features of print money. It can be used for transactions just like any
standard fiat currency though its use is restricted to certain online
communities. It allows borderless transfer of ownership and provides for
speedy transactions. As payment is made directly between the transacting
parties without any intermediaries the transaction is usually low cost. Digital
money includes cryptocurrency, Bitcoin and virtual currency.
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We have been seeing how the world is heightening and advancing with the utilization of
computerized resources where everything is becoming paperless now., in a similar race,
cryptographic money is the freshest and most sensible structure developing to the advanced
instalment region. The technological revolution has even reached the financial system. The payment
methods have evolved from the barter system to the use of cash. But now even print money is slowly
being replaced by digital money. 
Digital currency refers to any means of payment that exists in purely electronic form. It is intangible
and is available only in digital form like electronic wallets. It is accessible only through computers or
mobile phones. In contrast, the print currency that is banknotes or minted coins are available in
physical form and can be used for transactions only by their holders. A digital currency has many
intrinsic features of print money. It can be used for transactions just like any standard fiat currency
though its use is restricted to certain online communities. It allows borderless transfer of ownership
and provides for speedy transactions. As payment is made directly between the transacting parties
without any intermediaries the transaction is usually low cost. Although there are many types of
digital currency, the mechanics behind them all are essentially the same. Blockchain is the
technology on which all digital currencies are built. Cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies, central
bank digital currencies, and e-Cash are some examples of digital currency.

In 1998, Wei Dai proposed making a decentralized kind of money, which would be founded on
cryptography as a method for control. This brought about the idea of digital currency. The main
endeavours to make such money were made by David Chaum, utilizing DigiCash and eCash.
However, it was not until 2009 when, Satoshi Nakamoto made the main digital currency, called
bitcoin. Presently, there are over 4000 cryptocurrencies in the world. Unlike government-issued
currencies, they are operated by decentralized authorities. The prominent ones are
Ethereum, Cardano, Dogecoin etc. It is important to note that all cryptocurrencies are digital
currencies but not all digital currencies are crypto. Another type of digital money is virtual currency.
Virtual currency is a digital currency that is utilized inside a particular network. For example,
Amazon has its own amazon cash to spend on things available on its platform. However, virtual
currency is significant just inside the predefined network. Amazon cash cannot be used to buy a
pizza at Domino's. 
The future of money might be digital.