Bleak future for a balanced young population in Andhra

Vijayawada: The future of the prospects of having a balanced young population looks bleak in Andhra Pradesh. While the Gross Reproduction Rate (GRR) is only 0.8 in the state, the national average is 1.1.With the lowest 0.7 GRR being recorded in Delhi, the state comes in the second lowest position, according to the details that have been revealed in the statistical report of 2016 by the annual Sample Registration System. The GRR is a statistical term, which refers to the average number of daughters, potential mothers, likely to be born to a women in her lifetime. This indicates the population of mothers from one period to the next, and is an indicator of the growth of a population in a period. The total GRR has decreased by 0.1 since 2014 when the state was bifurcated. While the urban GRR dropped by 0.1 in 2014-15 itself, the rural GRR decreased in 2015-16. The rural GRR in the state was maintained at 0.9 till 2015 and it dropped to 0.8 in the next year. On the other hand, the urban GRR, which decreased from 0.8 in 2014 to 0.7 in 2015, was maintained at 0.7 in 2016 too.“It is a direct indicator of two primary factors. First, the falling fertility rates among the population in reproductive age across the state and secondly, the preference for male child in the society,” said Keerthi Bollineni, a women rights activist and president of Vasavya Mahila Mandali.Stating that the government is intervening at primary levels to ensure safe childbirth and prevention of girl child foeticide, she said, “One cannot rule out the fact that many couples in the state still prefer a son to a daughter. They have been under the impression that a girl does not carry the family’s surname forward to the next generation.” “There is also a strong sentiment among certain people in the society that the last rites should be performed by the son.” she said. Keerthi added that reduction in the number of women population over the generations can result in a highly imbalanced society. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring state of Telangana with the same GRR as that of AP, the same in the urban areas has improved from 0.7 in 2014 to 0.9 in 2016, which is deemed a positive sign.