New Delhi, July 10 -- This World Population Day, let us critique the proposition that population growth is inherently bad for the planet. The notion that more people inevitably means more emissions, higher degradation and a greater drain on resources is arguably one-sided and might obscure where real solutions lie.

India, now the world's most populous country, sits at the confluence of two big shifts: climate vulnerability and demographic opportunity. Could this deliver not a contradiction, but indeed a strategic advantage? What we do with our population and not just how many we are will shape not only India's future, but also the world's climate trajectory.

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A global po...