The Sample Registration System (SRS) is a large-scale demographic survey in India that provides annual estimates of infant mortality rate, birth rate, death rate, and total fertility rate. Initiated in 1964-65 on a pilot basis and made fully operational in 1969-70, it is conducted by the Office of the Registrar General of India, Ministry of Home Affairs.

Several countries are currently facing economic challenges due to rapidly ageing populations and shrinking workforces. For example, Japan and South Korea have recorded record-low fertility rates, leading to labor shortages and high social security costs. China’s population began contracting in 2022, prompting policy shifts to encourage larger families.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is the average number of children born to a woman during her childbearing years. The ‘replacement level fertility’ is the level of fertility at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next, without migration. Globally, this rate is estimated to be 2.1. When TFR falls below 2.1, the population eventually begins to shrink.

Demographic dividend refers to the economic growth that a country can experience when its working-age population (15 to 64 years) is larger than its non-working-age population (dependent children and elderly). To harness this, a country must invest in education, health, and job creation; otherwise, a large young population can lead to unemployment and social instability.

The Demographic Transition Model (DTM) describes how populations change over time. It has stages: Stage 1 (high birth/death rates, slow growth), Stage 2 (high birth, falling death rates, rapid growth), Stage 3 (falling birth, low death rates, slowing growth), and Stage 4 (low birth/death rates, stable/contracting population). India is currently in the late phase of Stage 3, transitioning towards Stage 4.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is defined as the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 live births. It is a critical indicator of a country’s overall health system. While India’s national IMR has dropped to 24, there are sharp regional differences. States like Kerala have an IMR as low as 8, while high-burden northern states (like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh) remain significantly higher, pointing to disparities in healthcare quality.

Regional convergence in development means reducing disparities between different states and districts in India. The Government of India uses targeted interventions, such as the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) launched in 2018, to transform districts that have shown relatively less progress in key social sectors like health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure.