The famous Indian crowd; Source: OneIndia

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Hundreds and thousands of people were gathered at the fair. A crowd so huge, that the ground is overflowing. The watchman has long lost the total count of heads. People from different walks of life, backgrounds, religions have come together. Such a scenario is only possible in the largest democracy of the world- India. At the same time, it is also scary; the danger of overpopulation lurks closer.

Cut to 11th May 2000. The city hasn’t woken up yet.  It’s 5:05 on the clock. In Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, a shrill cry can be heard from the maternity ward. Doctors, nurses and patients, and media alike are all smiles. It’s a girl. Baby Aastha, India’s billionth baby has been born.

India, a nation that spans from Kashmir at the top to Kanyakumari at the south, Gujarat at the west to Arunachal Pradesh at the east. The same India has around a total population of 1.37 billion and stands second in the list of the most populous countries of the world. 

> With a total share of 17.70% of the world population, there’s no stopping. As it is said, Indians are always on the topper’s list.

A land of billion dreams and aspirations, the strength of the country lies in its unity in diversity. However, with 67385 births taking place daily, the time has arrived that we start asking about the real dangers of overpopulation. Does the country really have the sources and the funds to take care of such a gigantic population? With an already glaring gap between the rich and the poor, how far can India go to accommodate all of its people? Is overpopulation directly linked with the staggering rise in unemployed people or have we heavily underutilised our human resources?

Every 12 years, there arrives the grand occasion of Kumbh Mela. With anyone thinking population is a myth, one can surely experience it themselves in the holy site- the astronomical size of the Indian populace. If taking a dip in the Ganges isn't your cup of tea, you can always take the Mumbai local during office hours. The buses are overflowing with passengers; each doctor has to see around 1456 patients; the environmental damage is unprecedented- least to say that the rise in numbers has already resulted in adverse effects.

> However, it would also be unfair not to mention the *Hum Do Hamare Do* policy which was launched in the 80s. The government was already aware of the peaking population and to take effective measures, the same policy was started under its national family planning program.

The effect was visible as joint families started breaking up and it saw a new rise in the nuclear families.

While India has achieved many accolades on the world stage, its position as the second-most populous country in the world does not make us very proud. As the country has now moved to a new century, it’s an earnest dream of most Indians to see their motherland faring better. While family planning is still a far-fetched idea to many since education still remains a privilege, we can only dream of a better future and a better lifestyle. The Indian *Sarkar* needs to tackle it better and ensure the numbers don’t climb any higher. 21 years after India’s billionth baby, *“Aastha”* is all we have for the population curve to stabilise.

On the dawn of 11th May 2000, a baby girl was born at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. The dawn opened up to a clear day as India officially became the land of 1 billion dreams.