NEW DELHI: The Interim Budget presented by union finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, is a reaffirmation of the government’s focus on the empowerment of four groups– women, youth, farmers and the poor– collectively described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “four castes”. These “four castes” have been at the centre of government’s policies and have emerged as major constituencies coveted by political parties for their ability to shape electoral outcomes.

While the minister underlined the government’s intent to improve their lot through enhanced spending and policy decisions, thereby securing their support for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the speech also made a mention of an ideological concern, India’s burgeoning population.

Iterating the government’s target of developing a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047; the FM said for achieving that goal, “we need to improve people’s capability and empower them.”

On the issue of challenges posed by population explosion, she said, “The Government will form a high-powered committee for extensive consideration of the challenges arising from fast population growth and demographic changes.”

The committee, she said, will be mandated to make recommendations for addressing these challenges comprehensively in relation to the goal of Viksit Bharat.

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The ideological fount of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has been pushing for a uniform population policy for all castes, groups and faiths in the country, much like a unified civil code.

The challenges and concerns of a growing population were also underscored by Modi in his Independance Day address in 2019. “Time has now come that we should take challenges head-on. Sometimes decisions are taken keeping in mind political advantage, but they come at the cost of growth of the future generation of our country. I would like to highlight the issue of population explosion in one country…” he had said in his speech.

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Modi said the rapidly increasing population poses various new challenges for the country and future generations and a section, which is very well aware of the consequences of uncontrolled population growth “deserve accolades and respect”.