RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat emphasised the crucial role of family in society, warning that if a society’s population growth rate falls below 2.1, it will eventually face extinction on its own.
Speaking at the ‘Kathale Kul (Clan) Sammelan’ in Nagpur on December 1, Bhagwat explained that “kutumb” (family) is an essential unit of society. He expressed concern over declining population rates, citing Loksankhya Shastra, which states that if the growth rate dips below 2.1, the society will self-destruct without external factors contributing to its downfall.
Referring to India’s population policy, which was established around 1998 or 2002, he highlighted that it stipulates the population growth rate should not fall below 2.1. He further emphasised that a growth rate of at least 3 is necessary for societal survival, according to population science.
Population growth in India is on a downward trajectory. Economist Shamika Ravi, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently commented on X that fertility rates in more than three-quarters of India’s states are now below what is required to maintain population levels.