Population growth is back on the national agenda. The earlier target of reaching replacement fertility by year 2000 is not likely to be met. If recent trend in birth-rate decline can be maintained then the annual growth rate may decline from around 2.0% to 1.7% by year 2000 and continue to decline thereafter. This would begin to alleviate population pressure on schooling, food requirements and employment. A faster decline in birth rate would accelerate the alleviation of population pressure. India's failure in moderating population growth stem from very slow improvements in both female education and quality of family welfare programme. An analysis of demographic diversity among states suggests that faster reduction in fertility can only be realized if a comprehensive national strategy is implemented comprising (a) increasing female education level as rapidly as possible; (b) making directional changes in the family welfare (FW) programme which would enable it to provide quality sterilization services to those who do not desire additional children and promote spacing methods more vigorously. The proposed directional changes in the family welfare programme include those needed for shifting emphasis to quality of services, achieving a better balance between sterilization and spacing methods and strengthening the reproductive health care. Instead of a uniform programme pattern, differential strategies would be required to respond to considerable demographic diversity among the states.