Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2021 | Uttarakhand | 16 May 2025

Why in News 

According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2021, released by the Registrar General of India, Uttarakhand was the only state to record an increase in birth rate during the period of 2016 to 2021.  

• This trend indicates an advanced demographic transition driven by factors like urbanization, improved healthcare, and female education. 

 Registrar General of India  

• The RGI, established in 1949 under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is responsible for overseeing population data collection, including the decennial Census of India and the Linguistic Survey of India.   
• The RGI ensures the implementation of the RBD Act, 1969, and manages the CRS for continuous birth and death registration.   
  • It also maintains the National Population Register (NPR) to record demographic details of all usual residents.  
• RGI is headed by a senior civil servant, typically of Joint Secretary rank, the RGI plays a crucial role in demographic planning and policy formulation.  

Key Points 

Key Highlights of the Report 

• About SRS Report 
  • The SRS is India’s largest demographic survey, designed to provide annual estimates of fertility and mortality indicators such as birth and death rates. 
  • The 2021 SRS offers vital population trend insights typically derived from the decadal Census, which has not been conducted yet for 2021. 
• Crude Birth Rates: Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear.  
  • India’s crude birth rate was 19.3 in 2021, declining at 1.12% annually from 2016 to 2021. 
  • Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Kerala experienced faster declines at rates of 2.35%, 2.23%, and 2.05% per year respectively during the same period. 
  • The slowest decline in birth rates occurred in Rajasthan (0.48%), Bihar (0.86%), Chhattisgarh (0.98%), Jharkhand (0.98%), Assam (1.05%), Madhya Pradesh (1.05%), West Bengal (1.08%), and Uttar Pradesh (1.09%). 
  • Other southern states including Andhra Pradesh (1.26%), Telangana (1.67%), and Karnataka (1.68%) also recorded faster-than-average declines. 
  • The entire southern region reflects a steady move toward smaller family sizes and stabilized population growth. 

 

• Total Fertility Rate (TFR): The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) represents the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years. 
  • In 2021, India’s TFR was 2.0, with Bihar reporting a high TFR of 3.0, Uttar Pradesh at 2.7, Madhya Pradesh at 2.6, and Rajasthan at 2.4. 
• Gross Reproduction Rate (GRR): The GRR for India stood at 1, meaning that on average, each woman in India is having one daughter who survives to reproductive age and has children of her own. 
  • In contrast, higher GRRs were recorded in Bihar (1.4), Uttar Pradesh (1.3), Rajasthan (1.2) and Madhya Pradesh (1.2) 
• Birth Registration Trends and Data Insights: The Civil Registration System (CRS) 2021 data shows that states with the slowest decline in birth rates also reported an increase in registered births, including: 
  • Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, etc. 
  • Conversely, southern states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala have experienced a decline in registered births since at least 2012, with a slight increase seen in Andhra Pradesh in 2021. 
  • Telangana showed a sharp rise in registered births after 2019, followed by a dramatic drop post-2020. 
• Policy and Planning Implications 
  • High fertility states require intensified family planning, education, and healthcare improvements. 
  • States with rapid fertility decline need to prepare for the challenges of an aging population and workforce management. 
  • Uniform enhancement of birth registration systems is essential for accurate demographic monitoring.