India's Population PDF

6 POPULATION C an you imagine a world without human POPULATION SIZE AND D ISTRIBUTION beings? Who would have utilised India’s Population Size and...

6 POPULATION C an you imagine a world without human POPULATION SIZE AND D ISTRIBUTION beings? Who would have utilised India’s Population Size and Distribution the resources and created social and by Numbers cultural environment? The people are important to develop the economy and the India’s population as on March 2011 stood at society. The people make and use resources 1,210.6 million, which account for more the and are themselves resources with varying 17 per cent of the world’s population. These quality. Coal is but a piece of rock, until people 1.21 billion people are unevenly distributed were able to invent technology to obtain it and over our country’s vast area of 3.28 million make it ‘resource’. Natural events, like a flood square km, which accounts for 2.4 per cent of or a Tsunami, becomes a ‘disaster’ only when the world’s area (Figure 6.1). they affect a crowded village or a town. The 2011 Census data reveal that Uttar Hence, population is the pivotal element in Pradesh with a population size of 199 million social studies. It is the point of reference from is the most populous state of India. Uttar which all other elements are observed and from Pradesh accounts for about 16 per cent of the which they derive significance and meaning. ‘Resources’, ‘calamities’ and ‘disasters’ are all country’s population. On the other hand, the meaningful only in relation to human beings. Himalayan state of Sikkim has a population of Their numbers, distribution, growth and just about 0.6 million and Lakshadweep has characteristics or qualities provide the basic only 64,429 people. background for understanding and Almost half of India’s population lives in appreciating all aspects of the environment. just five states. These are Uttar Pradesh, Human beings are producers and Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra consumers of earth’s resources. Therefore, it Pradesh. Rajasthan, the biggest state in terms is important to know how many people are of area, has only 5.5 per cent of the total there in a country, where do they live, how and population of India (Figure 6.2) why their numbers are increasing and what are their characteristics. The census of India What could be the reason provides us with information regarding the of uneven distribution of population in India? population of our country. Census A census is an official enumeration of population done periodically. In India, the first census was held in the year 1872. The first complete census, however, was taken in the year 1881. Since then, censuses have been held regularly every tenth year. The Indian Census is the most comprehensive source of demographic, social and economic data. Have you ever seen a census report? Check in your library if it has one. 48 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I 2024-25  POPULATION India’s Population Distribution by Density Rest of the world, 82.5% Population density provides a better picture of the uneven distribution. Population density is calculated as the number of persons per unit area. India is one of the most densely populated countries of the world. India, 17.5% Only Bangladesh and Japan have Do You Know higher average population densities AREA than India. Find out the population densities of Bangladesh and Japan. Rest of the world, 97.6% The population density of India in the year 2011 was 382 persons per sq km. Densities vary from 1,102 persons per sq km in Bihar to only 17 persons per sq km in Arunachal India, 2.4% Pradesh. A study of the Figure 6.3 shows the pattern of uneven distribution of population Fig 6.1 : India’s Share of World’s Area and Population densities at the State level. Fig. 6.2: Distribution of Population Source: Census of India, 2011 POPULATION 49 2024-25  Fig. 6.3: Density of Population (Census of India 2011) Note: Telangana became the 29th State of India in June 2014. * State of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two union territories namely Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on 05.08.19. 50 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I 2024-25  Activity 2 per cent per annum means that in a given Study the Figure 6.3 and compare it with year, there was an increase of two persons for Figure 2.4 and Figure 4.7. Do you find any every 100 persons in the base population. This corelation between these maps? is referred to as the annual growth rate. India’s population has been steadily Note the States with population densities increasing from 361 million in 1951 to 1210 below 250 persons per square km. Rugged million in 2011. terrain and unfavourable climatic conditions Table 6.1 : The Magnitude and Rate of India’s Population Growth are primarily responsible for sparse population in these areas. Which states have density below Year Total Absolute Annual Population Increase in Growth 250 persons per square km? (in million) the Decade Rate Assam and most of the Peninsular states (in million) (%) have moderate population densities. Hilly, 1951 361.0 42.43 1.25 dissected and rocky nature of the terrain, 1961 439.2 78.15 1.96 moderate to low rainfall, shallow and less fertile 1971 548.2 108.92 2.20 1981 683.3 135.17 2.22 soils have influenced population densities in 1991 846.4 163.09 2.16 these areas. 2001 1028.7 182.32 1.97 The Northern plains and Kerala in the south 2011 1210.6 181.46 1.64 have high to very high population densities because of the flat plains with fertile soils and Table 6.1 and Figures 6.4 (a) and 6.4 (b) abundant rainfall. Identify the three states of reveal that from 1951 to 1981, the annual the Northern Plains with high population rate of population growth was steadily densities. increasing; which explains the rapid increase in population from 361 million in 1951 to 683 million in 1981. POPULATION GROWTH AND PROCESSES OFPOPULATION CHANGE Table 6.1 reveals that despite the Population is a dynamic phenomenon. The decline in growth rates, the number of people being numbers, distribution and composition of the added every decade is steadily increasing. Why? population are constantly changing. This is the influence of the interaction of the three processes, Since 1981, however, the rate of growth namely — births, deaths and migrations. started declining gradually. During this period, birth rates declined rapidly. Still 182 million Population Growth people were added to the total population in the 1990s alone (an annual addition larger Growth of population refers to the change in than ever before). the number of inhabitants of a country/territory during a specific period of time, say during the It is essential to realise that India has a very last 10 years. Such a change can be expressed large population. When a low annual rate is in two ways: in terms of absolute numbers and applied to a very large population, it yields a in terms of percentage change per year. large absolute increase. When more than a The absolute numbers added each year or billion people increase even at a lower rate, the decade is the magnitude of increase. It is total number being added becomes very large. obtained by simply subtracting the earlier India’s annual increase in population is large population (e.g. that of 2001) from the later enough to neutralise efforts to conserve the population (e.g. that of 2011). It is referred to resource endowment and environment. as the absolute increase. The declining trend of the growth rate is The rate or the pace of population increase indeed a positive indicator of the efforts of birth is the other important aspect. It is studied in control. Despite that, the total additions to the per cent per annum, e.g. a rate of increase of population base continue to grow, and India POPULATION 51 2024-25  Fig. 6.4(a): India’s Population Growth Rates during 1951-2011 Fig. 6.4(b): India’s Population 1901-2011 has overtaken China in 2023 to become the most The natural increase of population is the populous country in the world. (www.un.org.) difference between birth rates and death rates. Birth rate is the number of live births per Processes of Population Change/Growth thousand persons in a year. It is a major There are three main processes of change of component of growth because in India, birth population : birth rates, death rates and rates have always been higher than death migration. rates. 52 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I 2024-25  Death rate is the number of deaths per population in 1951 to 31.80 per cent in 2011. thousand persons in a year. The main cause There has been a significant increase in the of the rate of growth of the Indian population number of ‘million plus cities’ from 35 to 53 in has been the rapid decline in death rates. just one decade, i.e., 2001 to 2011. In 2023 Till 1980, high birth rates and declining there were 59 million plus cities in India. death rates led to a large difference between Adolescent Population birth rates and death rates resulting in higher rates of population growth. Since 1981, birth The most significant feature of the Indian rates have also started declining gradually, population is the size of its adolescent resulting in a gradual decline in the rate of population. It constitutes one-fifth of the total population growth. What are the reasons for population of India. Adolescents are, this trend? generally, grouped in the age group of 10 to The third component of population growth 19 years. They are the most important resource for the future. Nutrition is migration. Migration is the movement of requirements of adolescents are higher than people across regions and territories. Migration those of a normal child or adult. Poor nutrition can be internal (within the country) or can lead to deficiency and stunted growth. international (between the countries). But in India, the diet available to adolescents Internal migration does not change the size is inadequate in all nutrients. A large number of the population, but influences the of adolescent girls suffer from anaemia. Their distribution of population within the nation. problems have so far not received adequate Migration plays a very significant role in attention in the process of development. The changing the composition and distribution of adolescent girls have to be sensitised to the population. problems they confront. Awareness among them can be improved through the spread of Activity literacy and education. On a map, trace the migration of each of your grandparents and parents since their birth. Try and analyse the National Population Policy reasons for each move. Recognising that the planning of families would improve individual health and In India, most migrations have been from welfare, the Government of India initiated a rural to urban areas because of the “push” comprehensive Family Planning Programme factor in rural areas. These are adverse in 1952. The Family Welfare Programme has conditions of poverty and unemployment in the sought to promote responsible and planned rural areas and the “pull” of the city in terms parenthood on a voluntary basis. The National of increased employment opportunities and Population Policy (NPP) 2000 is a better living conditions. culmination of years of planned efforts. Migration is an important determinant of The NPP 2000 provides a policy population change. It changes not only the framework for imparting free and compulsory population size but also the population school education up to 14 years of age, composition of urban and rural populations reducing infant mortality rate to below 30 per in terms of age and sex composition. In India, 1000 live births, achieving universal the rural-urban migration has resulted in a immunisation of children against all vaccine steady increase in the percentage of population preventable diseases, promoting delayed in cities and towns. The urban population has marriage for girls, and making family welfare increased from 17.29 per cent of the total a people-centred programme. POPULATION 53 2024-25  EXERCISE 1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below. (i) Migrations change the number, distribution and composition of the population in (a) the area of departure (c) both the area of departure and arrival (b) the area of arrival (d) none of the above (ii) A large proportion of children in a population is a result of (a) high birth rates (c) high death rates (b) high life expectancies (d) more married couples (iii) The magnitude of population growth refers to (a) the total population of an area (b) the number of persons added each year (c) the rate at which the population increases (d) the number of females per thousand males (iv) According to the Census, a “literate” person is one who (a) can read and write his/her name (b) can read and write any language (c) is 7 years old and can read and write any language with understanding (d) knows the 3 ‘R’s (reading, writing, arithmetic) 2. Answer the following questions briefly. (i) Why is the rate of population growth in India declining since 1981? (ii) Discuss the major components of population growth. (iii) Define age structure, death rate and birth rate. (iv) How is migration a determinant factor of population change? 3. Distinguish between population growth and population change. 4. What is the relation between occupational structure and development? 5. What are the advantages of having a healthy population? 6. What are the significant features of the National Population Policy 2000? P ROJECT /A CTIVITY Conduct a class census by preparing a questionnaire. The questionnaire should contain minimum five questions. Questions should relate to students, their family members, their class performance, their health, etc. Each student is required to fill in the questionnaire. Compile the information in numerical terms (in terms of percentage). Present the information through pie-chart, bar-diagram or in any other way. 54 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I 2024-25  G LOSSARY Adolescence : Adolescence is a period in which a person is no longer a child and not yet an adult. Such persons are grouped in the age group of 10 to 19 years. Alluvial plain : A level tract of land made up of alluvium or fine rock material brought down by a river. Base population : The total population of an area at the beginning of a given time period. Biome : Plant communities occuring in distinct groups in areas having similar climatic conditions. Birth rate : The number of live births for every 1000 persons in a year. Depression : In meteorology; it denotes an area of relatively low atmospheric pressure, which is found mainly in temperate regions. In geology, it refers to a hollow sunken area of the earth’s surface. Death rate : The number of deaths per 1000 persons in year. Density of population : The average number of persons per unit area, such as a square kilometre. Dependency ratio : The ratio of people of dependent age (below 15 and above 60 years) to people of economically active ages (15-59 years). Ecosystem : A system which comprises the physical environment and the organisms living therein. Environment : Surroundings or the conditions under which a person or thing exists and develops his or its character. It covers both physical and cultural elements. Fault : A linear break in rocks of the earth’s crust along which there has been displacement in a horizontal, vertical or oblique direction. Fauna : The animal life of a given area. Flora : The total vegetation or plant cover of a region. Fold : A bend in the rock strata resulting from compression of an area of the earth’s crust. Geosyncline : A narrow, shallow, elongated basin with a sinking bottom in which a considerable thickness of sediments was deposited by the rivers coming from Angara and Gondwanaland. Glacier : A mass of snow and ice that moves slowly under the influence of gravity along a confined course away from its place of accumulation. Growth rate of population : The growth rate of population indicates the rate at which the population is growing. In estimating the growth rate the increase in population is compared with the base population. It can be measured annually or over a decade. Indian mainland : It refers to the contiguous stretch of landmass from Jammu and Kashmir to Kanniyakumari and from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh. Indian Standard Time : The local time along the Standard Meridian of India (82°30'E). Inland drainage : A drainage system in which the waters of the rivers do not reach the oceans but fall into an inland sea or lake. 2024-25 Igneous rocks : Rocks formed as a result of solidification of magma either below the earth’s surface or above it. Lagoon : A salt-water lake separated from the sea by the sandbars and spits. Lake : A body of water that lies in a hollow in the earth’s surface and is entirely surrounded by land. Lithospheric plates : Large segments of the earth’s crust composed of continental and oceanic lithospheric parts, floating above the asthenosphere. Life expectancy : The average number of years one is expected to live. Local time : The time of a place determined by the midday sun is called the local time. Metamorphic rocks : Deformation and alteration of pre-existing igneous and sedimentary rocks as a result of changes in physical and chemical conditions due to intense heat or pressure. Migration : Movement of people from one place to another. Internal migration means movement of people within a country and external migration means movement of people between countries. When people come to a country from another country, it is called immigration and when they leave that country, it is called emigration. Million plus cities : Cities with a population of more than one million or 10 lakh. Monsoon : A complete reversal of winds over a large area leading to a change of seasons. Mountain : An upward projected features of the earth’s surface that rises to high altitude and usually possesses steep slopes. National park : A reserved area for preserving its natural vegetation, wildlife and the natural environment. Plain : An extensive area of flat or gently undulating land. Plateau : An extensive elevated area of relatively flat land. Plate tectonics : The scientific concept that explains the movements of the crustal plates. Relief : The differences in elevation or the physical outline of the land surface or ocean floor. Subsidence : In meteorology, it is the downward movement of the air. In geology, it refers to the sinking of a portion of the earth’s surface. Sedimentary rocks : Rocks composed of sediments and generally having a layered structure. Sex-ratio : Sex-ratio is defined as the number of females per thousand males. Subcontinent : A big landmass, which stands out as a distinct geographical unit from the rest of the continent. Tectonic : Forces originating within the earth and responsible for bringing widespread changes in the landform features. Young mountains : The fold mountains formed during the most recent major phase of folding in the earth’s crust. 56 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I 2024-25  Notes 2024-25 Notes 2024-25