Will India have 180 cr people in 2045?

Concerned over the possibility of the country's population touching 180 crore by 2045, the government is taking various steps to rein in total fertility rates, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

Replying to supplementaries, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ambumani Ramadoss said the steps taken to stabilise population include the adoption of a National Population Policy, constitution of the National Commission on Population, registration of the National Population Stabilisation Fund and constitution

of an Empowered Action Group for focused attention on eight demographically weaker states.

The minister said the National Population Policy, 2000 aims at attainment of a total fertility rate of 2.1 by 2010.

Nine states -- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Nagaland, Delhi, Pondicherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh and Mizoram -- have already achieved the desired Total Fertility Rate of 2.1 or less.

Eleven other states and Union Territories have achieved total fertility rate of less than 3.0, Ramadoss said.