India’s Demographic Dividend and Equity Concerns

India’s demographic change has attracted considerable attention, given its possible effect on economic advancement. While there is overwhelming optimism that the demographic bonus will take the country to greater economic heights, pessimists raise serious doubts about the country’s ability to take advantage of the demographic dividend due to several constraints. From an equity angle, the lecture will focus on the nature of demographic changes and demographic dividends in India. Further, it discusses certain other implications of demographic changes and the possible challenges on equity.

About the Speaker:

Prof. K S James is the Senior Visiting Scholar at Newcomb Institute, Tulane University. He possesses extensive research and teaching experience in the field of Demography with a focus on South Asia. He was formerly the Director and Senior Professor of the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, India. He also served as a Professor of Population Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and as Professor and Head of the Population Research Centre at the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) in Bangalore, India. Currently, he holds the position of Vice-president of the Asian Population Association (APA) and serves as a member of the Commission set up by the Government of Kerala, India, to formulate Kerala Urban Policy.