LUCKNOW, May 19 -- Leading economist professor Santosh Mehrotra has raised a red flag regarding what he termed the "biggest economic challenge" facing India today -- its dwindling demographic dividend. Delivering the '21st Frida Laski Memorial Lecture' at the Uttar Pradesh Press Club in Lucknow, Mehrotra emphasised the urgency of job creation as the key to harnessing the country's remaining demographic potential. "The working-age population (15-60 years) in India is shrinking, and by 2040, it will be at an all-time low," he cautioned. "That gives us only 15 years to act decisively," he noted. Drawing parallels with China, which faced a similar demographic slowdown, Mehrotra stressed, "The only way China managed it was by creating jobs; and that is precisely what India must do. We need to generate at least 11 million jobs annually to stay ahead of this looming crisis," he said. Prof Mehrotra, a native of Lucknow, has served at the United Nations for 15 years and held the position of director general of the National Institute of Labour Economics within the Planning Commission, in the rank of secretary to the Government of India. He is also the author of 14 books on economics, many focusing on labour and development. While acknowledging that India is currently the world's fastest-growing major economy, having been the second-fastest for two decades, Mehrotra warned that current growth rates are insufficient for long-term goals. "To reach the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047, we must accelerate our growth rate from 5.8 per cent to at least 9 per cent," he said. He further pointed out that this ambition must also be matched with rising incomes. "Our per capita income needs to increase from the current USD 2,800 to at least USD 14,000 in the next 22 years," he said, adding such a leap would require strategic investment in education, skills training, and labour-intensive sectors. "We are standing at a critical juncture. If we don't seize this window, we risk missing out on the single biggest economic opportunity of our time," he concluded. The Frida Laski Memorial Lecture, an annual event honouring the legacy of the noted journalist and socialist, brings focus to pressing national and global economic issues....