22 SOCIAL SCIENTIST However, the centrality of the connection between the objective *of reducing population growth and promoting women's overall status has not made any dent in the thinking of the family planning/health establishment and the incorporation of educational and economic inputs to strengthen women's access to family planning services have never been considered by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Seventh Five Year Plan approach paper has suggested larger allocation of resources to reach the target of 120 million couples in the reproductive age group, greater mobilisation for implementation of programmes, programmes and incentives for target groups social enforcement of late marriage and involvement of nongovernment organisations.7 « Aspects of Demographic Transition According to the estimates of the Expert Committee on Population Projections, the population- of the country was estimated at around 659 million on 1 st March, 1980, recording a growth rate of 83 per cent over the 1951 census figures. In actuality, population counted by the 1981 Census stands at 685 million. It shows that the steady growth in India's population began from the 20s, and the decadal growth rate has shown a steady progression except for the 40s. "The year 1921 'is considered as the 'great divide' in the demographic history of India. During 1911 to 1921, the population of the country was stable at high mortality and fertility levels : the birth rate of 48 per thousand and death rate of 447 per thousands. The period from 1921 till 1951 (the first Census after independence) was one of slow but steady growth mainly because of gradual reduction in mortality".8 Some population experts have pointed out that the great divide of the 20s is characterised by certain signifiant demographic trends : one of them being that women's economic participation rate began to decline from the same decade0. In fact, the changes in the sex ratio in the population and the sex ratio among workers follow a somewhat similar trend. The Report of the Committee on the Status of Women had inferred from this a close connection between the decline in women's economic opportunities with the increase in the number of women who were victims of poverty and malnutrition, and consequently the higher female death rate10. Demographic data indicate'! that during 1921-81, the rise in population was mainly due to dramatic decline in death rates, which fell by more than two thirds during this period. As against this, birth rate in the six decades fell by less than one fourth. The impact of such major demographic changes has however been adverse towards women. Thus while sex ratio in population has changed only marginally (a little over 2 per cent), sex ratio for workers has ^ fallen by almost half. This is more clearly brought out by an almost 60 per cent decline in the work participation rate of women. The decade under review (1971-81), has registered several shifts in demographic trends that had followed,a pattern over several decades :