India continues to fall behind not only industrialized countries but also some less industrialized countries in many demographic spheres. However, because of its changing age structure, India is bound to become an economic powerhouse in the coming years. When the working-age population in many economic rivals, such as China, Japan, and South Korea, shrinks dramatically, the country will add millions of young people to its labor force. How far India will be able to exploit this economic growth potential is a major challenge for public policy. This book is a semi-technical introduction to emerging population issues faced by India today. It identifies the most critical variables that policymakers can manipulate to improve people's social and economic well-being. It will benefit students, researchers, policymakers, and informed readers who are curious about how India's social fabric and economic destiny are intertwined with its demography.
Bali Ram is an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Sociology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, and an Adjunct Research Professor at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Formerly, he was Chief of the Demographic Characteristics Section and Senior Research Advisor of the Demography Division, Statistics Canada. He is the former President of the Federation of Canadian Demographers and President, Research Committee of Sociology of Population, International Sociological Association. He obtained his M.A. (Sociology) from Western University, Canada and Ph.D. (Sociology) from the Ohio State University, USA.Shefali S. Ram is the Director of Research Administration at Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Formerly, she was Epidemiologist at Canadian Blood Services; Senior Analyst at the Canadian Institute for Health Information; and Manager of Research at the Women's College Hospital, Toronto. She obtained her M.Sc. (Community Health and Epidemiology) from Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
