This study surveys the level, causes, and course of infant mortality in India during the last seventy years. Besides this historical survey, the book examines the implications of high and low infant mortality on the country's major problems of population growth and the current population policy designed to reduce the birth rate through family planning. Originally published 1972. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

First published in 1972, this reissue deals with the crucial issue of population explosion, one of the most crucial problems facing the contemporary developing world. Written by a world-renowned demographer and family planning specialist, the book deals specifically with the Indian experience. Reviewing population change in India over the last century, Professor Chandrasekhar focuses on three key issues: the socioeconomic repercussions of reduced infant mortality in twentieth-century India; the rapid population growth from 1871 and its implications on India’s efforts to raise her standard of living; and finally India’s valiant efforts to promote family planning amongst her hundred million married couples.

Proceedings of the Seminar on Population Policy with Special Reference to Infant Mortality and Fertility in India, April 24-26, 1978, organized by Population Research Centre, Baroda, and Operations Research Group, Baroda.

The last 35 years or so have witnessed a dramatic shift in the demography of many developing countries. Before 1960, there were substantial improvements in life expectancy, but fertility declines were very rare. Few people used modern contraceptives, and couples had large families. Since 1960, however, fertility rates have fallen in virtually every major geographic region of the world, for almost all political, social, and economic groups. What factors are responsible for the sharp decline in fertility? What role do child survival programs or family programs play in fertility declines? Casual observation suggests that a decline in infant and child mortality is the most important cause, but there is surprisingly little hard evidence for this conclusion. The papers in this volume explore the theoretical, methodological, and empirical dimensions of the fertility-mortality relationship. It includes several detailed case studies based on contemporary data from developing countries and on historical data from Europe and the United States.

First published in 1972, this reissue deals with the crucial issue of population explosion, one of the most crucial problems facing the contemporary developing world. Written by a world-renowned demographer and family planning specialist, the book deals specifically with the Indian experience. Reviewing population change in India over the last century, Professor Chandrasekhar focuses on three key issues: the socioeconomic repercussions of reduced infant mortality in twentieth-century India; the rapid population growth from 1871 and its implications on India's efforts to raise her standard of living; and finally India's valiant efforts to promote family planning amongst her hundred million married couples.