Syed Mohammed Talha says he is proud that his seven-year-old daughter attends a prestigious Montessori school in India’s national capital region.
The school is expensive, with annual fees at 255,000 rupees , but the Muslim businessman says he is happy he can afford it.
Talha's pleasure in having a small family underlines a growing trend among India's minority Muslims, long known for large families with the highest population growth rate across India's religious communities. Muslims are India's second largest religious community and accounted for 14.2% of the 1.2 billion population, according to the once in 10 years census in 2011. The majority Hindus accounted for 79.8%.but the United Nations has projected India's population will touch 1.42 billion this month. The country's Muslim population is the world's third-largest after Indonesia and Pakistan
"There is a misconception among Muslims that Islam doesn’t allow the use of birth control measures," said Maulana Khalid Rasheed, the imam of the Lucknow Eidgah in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state. "Islam advocates wholesome families and it is for people to decide how many children they want to have," said Ahmed Daikundh, the custodian of the Al Azar mosque in Kishanganj, an impoverished rural district in Bihar.
"Young people are exposed to digital media and they know how the other half lives, not the Hindus, but the better off," she said.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Temasek acquires 41% stake in India's Manipal HealthSingapore-based Temasek said on Monday that it is acquiring an additional 41% stake in India's Manipal Health Enterprises, taking its total stake to 59% in one of India's largest hospital chains.
Read more »
India inflation seen easing in March on softening food price rises: Reuters pollIndia's consumer inflation likely eased in March to 5.80% thanks to softer food price rises, dipping below the Reserve Bank of India's upper tolerance limit for the first time this year, a Reuters poll of economists found.
Read more »
INDIA RUPEE Rupee contends with Fed rate hike possibility, favourable momentum at openThe Indian rupee may open largely unchanged or slightly higher to the U.S. dollar on Monday, amid positive momentum from last week and data that boosted chances that the U.S. Federal Reserve may hike rates at its next meeting.
Read more »
Breakingviews - Rich countries and India should cut a climate pactHelping India grow in a green way is one of the best things that could happen for its people and the planet.
Read more »
As tiger count grows, India's Indigenous demand land rightsWildlife conservation initiatives, including Project Tiger, have forced Indigenous people out of forests and hurt their livelihoods, protesters say.
Read more »