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Ram Faujdar, Retired from International Institute for population Sciences (IIPS)
The present paper examines the Second demography transition (SDT) in Indian states and attempts to synchronize with selected Asian and European experiences. There are 8 bigger states in India that have achieved replacement fertility such as Kerala in 1987, Tamil Nadu in 1993, Andhra Pradesh together with Telangana in 2004, Punjab, and West Bengal in 2005, Karnataka and Maharashtra in 2006, and Odisha in 2012. Kerala spent 31 years until 2018 in SDT and its TFR never went below 1.7. Other states spent 13-14 years except for Tamil Nadu and Odisha and reached a TFR of 1.6. West Bengal reached the lowest TFR of 1.5. Analysis indicates similarity in the pattern of SDT observed in Indian states and Asian-European countries. However, there is no commonality as far as determinants postulated based on European SDT is concerned. All states in India experience universal marriage mostly arranged, individualism may be catching up but far away from other countries, gender equality is still a dream-female education is poor and work participation is low and declining. The important proximate determinants for Indian states are the use of contraception and delaying the age at marriage driven expanding female education.
Keywords: Fertility and childbirth, Family planning and contraception