Union Minister Pralhad Joshi expressed concern over a report titled 'Share of religious minorities: A cross-country analysis,' describing it as "scary" and emphasizing the need for society and governments to take it seriously.
Joshi, while acknowledging that he hadn't received the report directly but learned about it from media reports, underscored its significance. He stressed that the findings, widely covered in newspapers and news channels, demand serious attention from both society and government.
Highlighting the alarming nature of the report, Joshi urged governments to consider alternative measures in response to its findings. However, he also noted the complexity of identifying specific reasons behind the demographic changes, emphasizing the necessity of conducting comprehensive studies.
According to the report, the share of Hindus in India's total population declined by 7.82% from 1950 to 2015, while the Muslim population saw a significant increase of 43.15% during the same period. This trend indicates a changing demographic landscape, raising questions about fostering diversity in the country.
Notably, the report didn't provide absolute numbers, and it's unclear how the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) calculated the figures for 2015.
Given that the last census was conducted in 2011 and the upcoming one in 2021 has been delayed, the accuracy of these projections remains uncertain.
Furthermore, the paper highlighted a decline in the share of Jains in India's population, dropping from 0.45% in 1950 to 0.36% in 2015. These findings underscore the dynamic nature of demographic shifts in India and prompt further investigation into the underlying factors driving these changes.
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