This compendium of nineteen chapters, written by South Asia scholars and international authorities in the field of population, provides an overview of a range of issues surrounding fertility change in South Asia over the past decade.

Demographically And Also Economically South Asian Region, Comprising The Countries Of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan And Sri Lanka, Is One Of The Critical Major Regions Of The World. By Word Standards, It Is Chararacterized By High Rate Of Population Growth, High Density And High Dependency. South Asian Population Growth Makes It Virtually Certain That The Tremendous Rate At Which Population Is Increasing Will Double The Number Of People In The Region Within Next 30 Or 40 Years, However Vigorous And Efficient Family Planning Programmes May Be. Indisputably, This Region Has Been Facing A Population Explosion Of Crisis Dimensions. The Entire Battle Against Poverty Is Thwarted By The Rapid Increase In Population. Without Reduction In The Rate Of Population Increase, The Cherished Hopes Of The People For Better Life Are Doomed To Frustration.In The Present Study, An Attempt Has Been Made To Analyse The Facts And Features Of South Asian Population And The Demographic Factors Affecting The Pace And Level Of Economic And Social Development In The Region. A Population Policy For The Region Is Also Worked Out, For South Asian S Population Problem Cannot Be Solved By Pretence And Wishful Thinking. It Is Emphasized That In The Present Context Of South Asia What Needed Is The Increase In The Productive Capacity To Support A Large Population On The One Hand And To The Reduction In Fertility Rates On The Other Hand So That Growth Of Population Is Stabilized At A Lower Level.

This volume brings together 13 well-researched and original essays which describe and analyse the trajectory of fertility decline in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Documenting the fact that the fertility decline occurred in regions with vast differences in development indicators, the contributors argue that this transition must be understood as a cumulative result of several factors including family planning policies, socio-economic transformation, and changes in social perceptions towards fertility, contraception, marriage, family and child rearing. Combining various qualitative and quantitative techniques with field studies and historical analysis, the contributors go beyond the formal tools of demography and develop an original Geographical Information System (GIS), a spatialized database encompassing south Indian districts.