[EV NXT]

We budget when we buy a car, a house, a holiday but how many of us budget whether we can afford the largest expenditure - a kid. We open threads on “What Car”, on issues that could be faced, costs, power, handling etc. But have you ever seen a thread “ Would I be able to afford a kid?” Am I emotionally capable of bringing up a kid with the current stresses of my job? or Can someone tell me how much it would cost over a 15 year period to bring up a kid?

At current rates, it would cost at least anything between 4 - 10 crores and more over a 18 -22 year period taking into account all expenses including higher education abroad and weddings depending upon ones standard of living.

We don't budget because there are no upfront payments and because of social compulsions. A lot of folks end up regretting their actions partly because of the financial implications and the hassles that arise in most cases when kids start rebelling from their teens onwards. For some its a lifetime of worry.

Somebody should try this pricing model in other businesses - getting people to shell out money without even thinking of a budget or the major issues involved. I cant believe we have such a large chunk of Indians who cant think this through and just face the consequences. Human psychology can be frail at times.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by EV NXT

We budget when we buy a car, a house, a holiday but how many of us budget whether we can afford the largest expenditure - a kid.

To add, bringing up a child over the course of 18 years in the West has a higher carbon footprint than nearly every other activity combined.

[Sran]

Aside from blaming so called BIMARU states, there are certain other factors also. Southern states have low virility as opposed to so called BIMARU states. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art...?report=reader). High population is also due to those who abhor abortions. Then there was also a gulf wives issue where Kerala with highest population growth in 1950s went down in 1980s as more and more men migrated to gulf and now it is up. Schedule Tribe population is also higher in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand than southern states and they have higher fertility rates all over India, which also increases TFR in so called BIMARU states.

Slow immigartion to Gulf and S.E.Asia reflected in NHFS survey 2019-20 survey. TFR between 2016 to 2020, Kerala and T.N increased by 13% and 6% respectively. Whereas in so called BIMARU states it declined by -12%, -17%, -13%, -11%.

341, 196, 219, 166 is the ratio of students per Lakhs from Kerala, A.P, T.N and Karnataka who go to study abroad and most of them settle there which further brings down the TFR. (Lok sabha unstarred question 4709, answered by V. Muraleedharan MoS,EAM)

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

This doesn't make sense to me. So for 9+5 = 14 months these monsters (the wife was also arrested) was not aware of the 2 child government policy? I also noticed the poor child was a girl. Makes me wonder if the real reason was her gender and had got nothing to do with the job policy.

More details emerging which might indicate I was on the right track.
These monsters already had three kids. To bypass the 2 child rule, they had his brother adopt one girl child.
Won't be surprised if all the earlier surviving kids turn out to be girls.

[ruzbehxyz]

After the introduction of GST in 2017, everyone is paying for each and every commodity that they buy. This is a sizeable income for the Government.
Do you think that the excess population is indirectly /directly helping the economy by way of GST taxes ?

[EV NXT]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

To add, bringing up a child over the course of 18 years in the West has a higher carbon footprint than nearly every other activity combined.

Not to mention, countries like Sweden actually pay you a per-child allowance (barnbidrag) - a financial support paid to parents who live and have children in Sweden. If you have two or more children for whom you receive child allowance, you automatically also receive a large-family supplement!

Now imagine extending this rule to India.

[am1m]

I've found my views changing over time. Initially, I used to be one of the 'drastic-population-reduction-measures' kinda person. Admired China's one-child policy, 'huge population is the road to doom' and that sort of thing.

But I've changed my mind/stance over time (no, not because I've had children, I don't). The stats say that even though certain regions have a higher fertility rate, the environmental impact of a child in those regions is typically lower than a child from regions with lower fertility rates and families higher on the socio-economic scale. I'd wager that my upper-middle-class lifestyle in India has as much of a carbon/environmental/resource-consumption footprint as the average person's in a Western country. So I don't see how I can blanket deride 'bimaru' or whatever states without feeling like a bit of a hypocrite. Plus, the added fact that the migrant labour from those very states going into Indian industry and cities, and their low cost is a big factor in making my comfortable lifestyle in India very affordable.

Which is not to say there don't need to be some policies to help bring our population into a sustainably stable state as much as we can. I can't find the reference but I remember the author Isaac Asimov saying something about the best form of birth control being more women being given the chance to pursue master's degrees.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by EV NXT

Not to mention, countries like Sweden actually pay you a per-child allowance (barnbidrag) - a financial support paid to parents who live and have children in Sweden. If you have two or more children for whom you receive child allowance, you automatically also receive a large-family supplement!

We have something similar here in the Netherlands. For each child under 18 you receive child support. The amounts depend on the age. The older the more you receive. It varies between Euro 1000 - 1600 per child per year. You get it for every year.

When you want your kids to go to pre-school, you get an additional allowance. The idea being that it allows both partners to work whilst the kid gets looked after. Kids can go to pre-school from about 6-9 month old. Initially only a half day to a couple a days per week. Our grand daughter Bella is 30 months and has been going to pre-school for over a year now. She loves it!

Dutch society is still expanding, but due to immigration. Birth rate alone would see the population shrinking. And yes, we have a major issue with lots of elderly people and to few young, working people. Yours truly fitting into the first group, but not feeling guilty at all.

Jeroen

[tilt]

Originally Posted by EV NXT

We budget when we buy a car, a house, a holiday but how many of us budget whether we can afford the largest expenditure - a kid. We open threads on “What Car”, on issues that could be faced, costs, power, handling etc. But have you ever seen a thread *SNIPPED FOR HUMOUR*

I can't wait to see a thread titled "What kid?"

Cheers

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by tilt

I can't wait to see a thread titled "What kid?"

That won't be allowed in the forum, since it is illegal in India to discern the gender of the fetus beforehand.

[trippytragopan]

Would Indian road infrastructure be able to withstand 1.66 billion people in 2050?

[EV NXT]

Originally Posted by tilt

I can't wait to see a thread titled "What kid?"

Cheers

Even better would be a thread on problems with the ASC and the manufacturer.

But you missed the point entirely. Its not the type of kid. Its the costs involved with bringing up a kid and sadly enough thats no laughing matter.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by trippytragopan

Would Indian road infrastructure be able to withstand 1.66 billion people in 2050?

That's why the government is constructing around 25-30 expressways so that there won't be a slowdown in maneuvering the largest human movement on earth

[trippytragopan]

Originally Posted by deehunk

That's why the government is constructing around 25-30 expressways so that there won't be a slowdown in maneuvering the largest human movement on earth.

In country like ours, more than building expressways, we need better public transportation system.

[johy]

Taking the size of China and India into consideration, and then comparing the population, our population is way way too high! It is the biggest barrier to any real progress.