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Preparing for the Twenty-First century: India and China The population explosion of China and India is in general what is holding each country back from becoming competitive powers in the developing world. With India's population at more than one billion and China's population at 853 million, the global effect on security, food, energy, and the environment will be immense. Both countries have tried to persuade couples to limit family size. However, the Indian government has not been as successful as China. The Indian government has had greater difficulty reaching into villages to try and force peasants to limit the number of children they can bear. India has greater localized poverty, illiteracy, and child mortality. Therefore, the desire to have children in order to enhance family income remains strong. Forced sterilization, mistrust of government, dangerous and inefficient contraceptive devices have caused a powerful public reaction against limiting family size. Even if adequate birth control were available the response to limit family size would probably still be negative because of the cultural and religious diversity that exists in India-something China has not had problems with. China has had some success in being able to