Fertility in India is declining rapidly, says National Health Profile 2018

Total fertility rate falls below two children per woman in 12 states, reaches replacement levels in 9 others

Lakshadweep administration’s proposed two-child norm defies all logic

There is no evidence that a two-child policy is effective even for states which have high fertility rates than Lakshadweep

‘India’s growing and aging populations require investments across all sectors’

Down To Earth speaks to demography expert Poonam Muttreja about the findings of the latest National Family Health Survey

One in six people worldwide affected by infertility, finds WHO

Urgent need to expand access to prevention, diagnosis and treatments; rates of infertility are similar across all countries and regions

Fertility rate down in most states, NFHS-5 finds

Kerala only state to record increase in fertility rate, phase 1 of survey finds; urban women had lower fertility rate than women in rural areas …

Adolescent fertility rate, teenage pregnancies decline in Indian states: NFHS-5

Tripura records the highest adolescent fertility rate for women aged 15-19 years; Goa the least

Male fertility crisis: What environmental contaminants have got to do with it

The way environmental factors affect fertility and cause effects over multiple generations may involve the epigenome of sperm

Fertility in 91 countries insufficient to maintain population: study

The baby bust in 91 countries, including Singapore, Spain, Portugal and South Korea is happening simultaneous to a baby boom in 104 countries, …

Why the debate over India’s population explosion is on the wrong track

According to government data, India’s Total Fertility Rate has already reached replacement levels

Economic Survey 2018-19: School going population peaks as fertility rate declines

Nine states, which have fertility rates well below the replacement rate, will have an aged population by 2030s

Scientists identify genetic factors responsible for infertility among Indian men

Hyderabad-based scientists find that the deletions on Y chromosome of infertile Indian men are vastly different from such deletions seen among …

Scientists assess how continuous use of fertilisers affects soil bacteria

Application of Nitrogen Phosporus Potassium with farmyard manure increases the minerals' availability in the soil as compared to other treatments

Plants are great at storing CO2. These scientists aim to make them even better

Researchers around the world are working to improve plants’ ability to combat climate change

New guar gum-based hydrogel can help save drought-hit crops

The guar gum-based hydrogel is biodegradable and adds organic content to the soil upon degradation

Customary and religious laws are impeding progress towards women’s health in Nigeria

The country has the second-largest HIV epidemic in the world; its women make up more than half of people living with the disease  

Is contract farming in India really worth it?

It is a novel idea; but in a country where the ruling class openly favours corporates, it could prove disastrous for farmers

How Nuh’s maternal mortality rate dropped 32 points in just 4 years

Incentivising institutional deliveries don’t necessarily ensure a pregnant woman’s nutritional health 

What does NFHS-5 tell us about unmet needs in contraception, family planning

Unmet needs of family planning declined in most states and Union territories except Meghalaya

Population populism: How redundant is UP’s two-child policy?

The recent UP Population Policy aims to reduce the state’s current total fertility rate, which is 2.7, and bring it down to 2.1 

‘Deficiency in micronutrients in soil linked to health of children and women’

Districts with an increased proportion of soil zinc samples had significantly lower rates of child stunting and underweight

Population populism: UP draft population bill will impact the vulnerable, especially women

The focus must be on safeguarding women and girls’ reproductive health. Smaller families can be achieved by ensuring gender equality, …

India’s agrarian distress: Can we revive our fatigued soils

Intensive cultivation and improper nutrient replenishment have affected soil fertility. Stagnating or declining yields are the telltales

Brigid’s Day: how a festival of fire and fertility connects Christian Ireland with its pagan past

The beliefs and lore around both Brigit the goddess and Brigid the saint are almost identical and it is generally accepted that one developed …

Potassium in our soil is running low, threatening global food security – new study proposes a way out

A proposal for a resolution on potassium at a future United Nations environment assembly holds the key to intergovernmental action

Alabama ruling frozen embryos are equivalent to living children has worrying implications for IVF

The judgement that in Australia only one embryo is transferred & none frozen is demonstrably false