Alarming decline in fertility rate

The lowest fertility rate in Jammu and Kashmir has raised concerns among the people as the situation is seemingly turning worrisome with each passing day. The fresh report compiled by the National Family Health Survey for 2019-21 has revealed that J&K has lowest fertility in whole India and there has been a decline of 0.6 per cent fertility rate since 2016. The experts have raised alarm and are of the opinion that several reasons are behind the reduction of the fertility rate. Some among the reasons include late marriage, knowledge of contraception, obesity, change of lifestyle and use of junk food. The late marriage is against the basic principles of Islam. However, there are certain factors that have become the reasons behind late marriage include poverty and unemployment while customs and rituals are among the main reasons behind the late marriages. In order to avoid further decline in fertility, there is a need to have a system in place in the society, avoid late marriages, change food habits and control weight. One cannot even imagine the future situation as with the decline in fertility rate, the population too will see a decline in Jammu and Kashmir. Until and unless, we as a society will not rise to the occasion, the situation cannot be changed at all. Thus, the people should consider banning the rituals and customs completely in the marriages so that the poor people could also afford the early marriages. The situation can turn ugly in the future in case the habits and the ground circumstances are not changed at an earliest.