New Delhi | Technical education regulator AICTE has directed engineering colleges and technology institutions to create awareness about the impact of population explosion, while noting that a rapidly increasing population may lead to food insecurity and social and political instability.

The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has said that the country is facing challenges of population explosion and resources like land, food, water and energy are limited and asked affiliated institutes to conduct various activities, including seminars and symposiums, on effects of population growth.

"As responsible citizens, we must understand that our country is facing challenges of population explosion. As all the resources like land, food, water and energy are limited, rapidly increasing population may lead to food insecurity, water and land scarcity, loss of biodiversity, increased pollution levels and social and political instability," the AICTE said in a communication to Vice Chancellors of technical varsities and heads of institutions.

"All AICTE approved institution and universities are requested to create awareness about the negative impact of population explosion and to organise seminars, symposiums, workshops and quizzes on bad effects of population growth as it is important to find a balance between population growth and the capacity of Earth's ecosystems to support human life and maintain a healthy environment," it added.

As India surpassed China in April this year to become the world's most populous nation, cries grew louder about depleting resources with experts citing that it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a balance between the rising population and the available resources.

India now has a population of 142.86 crore, a little more than China's 142.57 crore, according to the United Nations data shared in April. According to the Pew Research Centre, India's population has grown by more than one billion people since 1950, the year the UN began gathering population data.