India`s population to rise to 1.53 billion by 2050

New Delhi: India`s population will rise
to a massive 1.53 billion by 2050, overtaking China and making
the country the world`s most populous nation.

According to a report by the National Commission on
Population, India`s population is expected to reach 1.19
billion by 2011, 1.27 billion by 2016, 1.34 billion by 2021
and 1.4 billion by 2026.

"India is estimated to increase its population by 18
million every year," Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad
said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today.

The minister said the Family Welfare Programme in
India is voluntary in nature, which enables a couple to adopt
the family planning methods best suited to them according to
their choice without any compulsion.

Bureau Report