In spite of India's many positive accomplishments, there is a feeling in the global community that India as a society has not lived up to its potential, given its considerable natural and human resources. In spite of an impressive expansion of the middle class and an increase in urban living standards, poverty continues to be an endemic problem. Although the poverty rate declined since the mid- seventies, the total population living below the poverty line has scarcely changed and remains at around 320 million persons. Further, millions of people who are not officially poor also suffer from income and food insecurity as do those living in poverty. Poverty is associated with a host of secondary social problems-high birthrates, lower life expectancy, higher child mortality, chronic malnutrition and illness, child labor, illiteracy, and low economic productivity over the life time.
Population growth continues to be a problem in spite of recent declines in the birth rate.
The population grew by a staggering 163 million between 1981 and 1991 alone. The United Nations estimates that at the present rate of growth, India's population will surpass that of China by the middle of the next century. Even if significant reductions in the birth rate are achieved relatively soon, India will still have to cope with the problem of providing basic services, education and employment for the millions of children born each year. The increased competition for basic resources such as education and employment can be expected to strain a social and economic infrastructure that is already stretched to its limits. A growing population is expected to exacerbate the demand on housing, transportation, schools, hospitals, jobs and even on electricity and water supply.