Approach:

Introduction: Highlight the current context i.e., the World Population Report's findings of India becoming the most populous country.

Body: Write briefly the causes of the population explosion in India, then enumerate the negative and positive consequences of having a high population. Thereafter write down the measures that can be taken to utilize the population for development in India by giving government efforts as examples.

Conclusion: Conclude by mentioning how demographic dividend can be utilized to ensure it doesn't become a disaster for India.

Answer:

According to the UNFPA’s State of World Population Report 2023 India’s population is estimated to reach 142.86 crores by the middle of this year overtaking China to become the world’s most populous country. Hence arises the need to evaluate India’s population growth to enable her development prospects.

The causes of a high Population are improvement in health conditions and control of diseases, increase in the economic status of families, ‘son meta preference’, advancement in science to avert natural calamities and cultural barriers against the use of contraceptives.

Negative impacts of Population Explosion on development prospects:

1. Overcrowding: Rapid population growth can lead to overcrowding, which can cause a strain on resources and infrastructure. It can also increase crime rates.
2. Environmental degradation: Large populations can lead to the overuse of natural resources, such as forests and water sources, leading to deforestation, desertification, and scarcity of water. This can also cause pollution, including air, water, and soil pollution.
3. Reduced quality of life: Population growth can lead to a reduced quality of life due to a lack of resources, a high cost of living, and inadequate infrastructure. Example: Slum sprawls like Dharavi.
4. Strains on the economy: A rapidly growing population can create a strain on the economy, including increasing government spending on social services and infrastructure, reducing the availability of resources for research and development, and making it more difficult for individuals to find work. Example: Venezuela crisis, 2017.
5. Increased competition for resources: As populations grow, competition for resources such as food, housing, and medical care can increase.
   

But population growth has some positive impacts too:

1. A larger workforce: A growing population means a larger workforce, which can represent a source of productivity and economic growth, as long as the workforce is employed and trained with the corresponding skills.
   
2. Innovation and entrepreneurship: A growing population can lead to more innovation and entrepreneurship, as more people means more ideas, and can also represent a larger market for new businesses to thrive.
   
3. Increased demand: A growing population means an increase in demand for goods and services, which can stimulate economic growth, as long as there's enough production capacity to meet such demand.
   
4. Greater economies of scale: As the population grows, the cost of producing goods and services may decrease, allowing companies to lower prices and still maintain their profit margins.
   

Measures to Utilize Demographic Dividend:

1. Investing in education: Education is essential for empowering young people to be productive members of the workforce. Example: New education policy,2020, Skill India mission
   
2. Improving access to healthcare: This can help ensure that people are healthy and able to work, reducing absenteeism and disability. Example: Janani Suraksha Yojana, Integrated Child Development Scheme, Universal Immunization Programme.
   
   
3. Creating job opportunities: Job creation is crucial for ensuring the growing working-age population can find employment. Example: MGNREGA.
4. Promoting entrepreneurship: Encouraging entrepreneurship and providing support for small and medium-sized enterprises can help create jobs and drive economic growth. Example: StartUp India. StandUp India schemes.
   
5. Investing in infrastructure as the overpopulation regions demand more resources, can help create an enabling environment for economic growth, including transportation and communications infrastructure. Example: PM Gati Shakti scheme.
   
6. Encouraging savings and investment: Countries can encourage savings and investment through policies that encourage people to save and invest, such as tax incentives.
   
7. Strengthening governance and institutions: This can help create a favourable policy environment that encourages family planning. Example: National population policy 2020, Family planning programme,1977.

Due to these governmental efforts, the decadal growth of India has declined from 21.54% (1991-2001) to 17.6% in 2001-11.

India is on the right side of a demographic transition which could aid its rapid socio-economic development. To reap this golden dividend, the government needs to invest more in human capital (education, skill development, healthcare) for India to develop sustainably. India needs to become rich before it gets old.