THE POPULATION OF INDIA

"Hey, Zainab, look how crowded the park is today," Maria said while sitting on the bench.

- Kumud Kumar

"Maria, which place isn't crowded?" Zainab asked.

"You're right, Zainab! Roads, streets, neighbourhoods, schools, bus stands, stations, and even hospitals are crowded," added Simran.

"Why are you silent, Ayushi? Say something," Zainab urged.

"I agree, Zainab. I, too, see crowds everywhere. Anyway, India has now overtaken China to become the most populous country in the world in terms of population," Ayushi said, expressing her concern.

The four girls studied in a school in Delhi. Even though they were junior school students, they loved discussing current issues. Today, being a Sunday, they had come to exercise at the park.

After jogging, they all sat on a bench to relax.

Continuing Ayushi's point, Zainab said, "You're right, Ayushi! Now, the population of India has crossed 1.43 billion. Every sixth person in the world is Indian. 16% of the world's population lives in India, while we only have 2.4% of the world's land."

"You're absolutely right, Zainab! We need to think how did the population of India increased so much?" asked Ayushi.

"I have an answer to that question," chipped in Simran.

"Hey Simran, how do you know that?" asked Maria.

"My brother, Rajan is a student at the famous Indian Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS) in Mumbai. He has many books on the subject," Simran explained.

"And you, bookworm, you must have devoured all those books!" Maria joked.

They all laughed.

"I haven't read all the books, but I was curious to know about how population increases," said Simran, confidently.