Population

"The people are important to develop the economy and society. The people make and use resources and are themselves resources with varying quality. Hence, population is the pivotal element in social studies. It is the point of reference from which all other elements are observed and from which they derive significance and meaning."

1.0Introduction

Population is the total number of people living in a country at a given point of time. The significance of studying population lies mainly in estimating the total manpower available for production and the total amount of goods and services required for their consumption.

2.0Importance of studying population

'Resources', 'calamities' and 'disaster' are all meaningful only in relation to human beings. Their numbers, distribution, growth and characteristics or qualities provide the basic background for understanding and appreciating all aspects of the environment. We are primarily concerned with three major questions about the population:

• Population size and distribution: How many people are there and where are they located?
• Population growth and processes of population change: How has the population grown and changed through time?
• Characteristics or qualities of the population: What is their age, sex composition, literacy levels, occupational structure, and health conditions?

3.0Population size and distribution

India's Population Size and Distribution by Numbers

India's population as of March 2011 stood at $1210.6$ million, which is $17.5\%$ of the world's population. These 1.21 billion people are unevenly distributed over our country's vast area of $3.28$ million square $\mathbf{km}$, which accounts for 2.4 per cent of the world's area.

The 2011 Census data reveal that Uttar Pradesh with a population size of $199$ million is the most populous state of India. Uttar Pradesh accounts for about $16$ per cent of the country's population. On the other hand, the Himalayan state of Sikkim has a population of just about $0.6$ million and Lakshadweep has only 64,429 people.

Almost half of India's population lives in just five states. These are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh. Rajasthan, the biggest state in terms of area, has only 5.5 per cent of the total population of India.

4.0Census

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.

5.0India's Population Distribution by Density

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. The population density of India in the year 2011 was $382$ persons per sq. $\mathbf{km}$. Densities vary from $1,102$ persons per sq. km in Bihar to only 17 persons per sq. km in Arunachal Pradesh.

Note the States with population densities below 250 persons per square km. Rugged terrain and unfavourable climatic conditions are primarily responsible for sparse population in these areas.

Assam and most of the Peninsular states have moderate population densities. Hilly, dissected and rocky nature of the terrain, moderate to low rainfall, shallow and less fertile soils have influenced population densities in these areas.

The Northern plains and Kerala in the south have high to very high population densities because of the flat plains with fertile soils and abundant rainfall. Identify the three states of the Northern Plains with high population densities.

6.0Population Growth and Processes of Population Change

It is the change in number of inhabitants of a country during a specific period of time. There are three factors, which determine the population change-the birth rate, the death rate and migration.

(a) Population growth

The absolute numbers added each year or decade is the magnitude of increase. It is obtained by simply subtracting the earlier population (e.g., that of 2001) from the later population (e.g., that of 2011). It is referred to as the absolute increase.

The rate or the pace of population increase is the other important aspect. It is studied in per cent per annum, e.g., a rate of increase of 2 per cent per annum means that in a given year, there was an increase of two persons for every 100 persons in the base population. This is referred to as the annual growth rate.

CENSUS OF INDIA 2011 DENSITY OF POPULATION

• 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.

From this table 1951 to 1981, the annual rate of population growth was steadily increasing, which explains the rapid increase in population from 361 million in 1951 to 683 million in 1981.

Since 1981, however, the rate of growth started declining gradually. During this period, birth rates declined rapidly. Still 182 million people were added to the total population in the 1990s alone (an annual addition larger than ever before).

It is essential to realise that India has a very large population. When a low annual rate is applied to a very large population, it yields a large absolute increase. When more than a billion people increase even at a lower rate, the total number being added becomes very large. India's annual increase in population is large enough to neutralise efforts to conserve the resource endowment and environment. The declining trend of the growth rate is indeed a positive indicator of the efforts of birth control. Despite that, the total additions to the population base continue to grow, and India may overtake China in 2045 to become the most populous country in the world.

India's population has been steadily increasing from 361 million. in 1951 to 1210 million in 2011.

(b) There are three main processes of change of population

Internal migration does not change the size of the population but influences the distribution of population within the nation. Migration plays a very significant role in changing the composition and distribution of population.

In India, most migrations have been from rural to urban areas because of the "push" factor in rural areas. These are adverse conditions of poverty and unemployment in the rural areas and the "pull" of the city in terms of increased employment opportunities and better living conditions.

Migration is an important determinant of population change. It changes not only the population size but also the population composition of urban and rural populations in terms of age and sex composition. In India, the rural-urban migration has resulted in a steady increase in the percentage of population in cities and towns. The urban population has increased from 17.29 per cent of the total population in 1951 to 31.80 per cent in 2011. There has been a significant increase in the number of 'million plus cities' from 35 to 53 in just one decade, i.e., 2001 to 2011.

7.0Characteristics or qualities of population

(a) Age composition:

(i) Children (generally below 15 yrs.): They are economically unproductive and need to be provided with food, clothing, education, and medical care. (ii) Working age (15-59 yrs.): They are economically productive and biologically reproductive. They comprise the working population. (iii) Aged (Above 59 yrs.): They can be economically productive though they may have retired. They may be working voluntarily but they are not available for employment through recruitment.

The percentage of children and the aged affect the dependency ratio because these groups are not producers. The proportion of the three groups in India's population is already presented in Figure.

(b) Sex ratio:

Table: India: Sex Ratio 1951-2011 Kerala has a sex ratio of 1084 females per 1000 males, Puducherry has 1038 females for every 1000 males, while Delhi has only 866 females per 1000 males and Haryana has just 877.

(c) Literacy Rates:

According to the Census 2011, a person aged 7 years and above, who can read and write with understanding in any language, is treated as literate.

There has been a steady improvement in the literacy levels in India. The literacy rate in the country as per the Census of 2011 is 73 per cent; 80.9 per cent for males and 64.6 per cent for females. Why do such differences exist?

(d) Occupational Structure:

The proportion of people working in different activities varies in developed and developing countries. Developed nations have a high proportion of people in secondary, and tertiary activities. Developing countries tend to have a higher proportion of their workforce engaged in primary activities. In India, about 64 per cent of the population is engaged only in agriculture. The proportion of population dependent on secondary and tertiary sectors is about 13 and 20 per cent respectively. There has been an occupational shift in favour of secondary and tertiary sectors because of growing industrialisation and urbanisation in recent times.

(e) Health:

The substantial improvement is the result of many factors including improvement in public health, prevention of infectious diseases and application of modern medical practices in diagnosis and treatment of ailments.

Despite considerable achievements, the health situation is a matter of major concern for India. The per capita calorie consumption is much below the recommended levels and malnutrition afflicts a large percentage of our population. Safe drinking water and basic sanitation amenities are available to only one-third of the rural population. These problems need to be tackled through an appropriate population policy.

(f) Adolescent Population:

A large number of adolescent girls suffer from anaemia. Their problems have so far not received adequate attention in the process of development. The adolescent girls have to be sensitised to the problems they confront. Their awareness can be improved through the spread of literacy and education among them. In 1952, the government of India initiated the Comprehensive Family Planning Programme and then NPP 2000 was introduced.

8.0National Population Policy - N.P.P. 2000 aims at

Recognising that the planning of families would improve individual health and welfare, the Government of India initiated a comprehensive Family Planning Programme in 1952. The Family Welfare Programme has sought to promote responsible and planned parenthood on a voluntary basis. The National Population Policy (NPP) 2000 is a culmination of years of planned efforts.

The NPP 2000 provides a policy framework for imparting free and compulsory school education up to 14 years of age, reducing infant mortality rate to below 30 per 1000 live births, achieving universal immunisation of children against all vaccine preventable diseases, promoting delayed marriage for girls, and making family welfare a people-centred programme.

NPP 2000 and Adolescents

NPP 2000 identified adolescents as one of the major sections of the population that need greater attention. Besides nutritional requirements, the policy puts greater emphasis on other important needs of adolescent including protection from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It called for programmes that aim towards encouraging delayed marriage and childbearing, education of adolescents about the risks of unprotected sex, making contraceptive services accessible and affordable, providing food supplements, nutritional services, and strengthening legal measures to prevent child marriage.

People are the nation's most valuable resource. A well-educated healthy population provides potential power.

9.0Glossary

• Census - Official enumeration of population along with certain economic and social statistics in a given territory, carried out on a specific day. It is generally conducted periodically.
• Birth Rate - The number of infants born for every 1000 persons in a year.
• Death Rate - The number of deaths per 1000 persons a year is called death rate.
• Density of population - The average number of persons per unit area.
• Demography - It is the study of the population statistics, trends and changes over a time based on birth rate, death rate and fertility rate.

10.0MIND MAP