India's Fertility Rate Drops Below Replacement Level

India's total fertility rate has fallen to 1.9 children per woman, below the replacement level of 2.1, as reported by the Office of the Registrar General. This decline, first noted in 2000 when the rate was around 3.3, raises concerns about an aging workforce and potential labor shortages.

Experts, including Dipa Sinha, a development economist, attribute the decline to factors such as improved access to education, contraceptive use, rising costs of raising children, and reduced infant mortality rates. The fertility rate varies across states, with Bihar having the highest rate at 2.9 and New Delhi the lowest at 1.2.

Southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala also report low fertility rates due to better health and education systems. The Bharatiya Janata Party faces political implications as southern states fear losing parliamentary representation due to population-based seat allocation.

Additionally, Mohan Bhagwat of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has urged Hindu couples to have more children to prevent demographic decline.