Population Detailed Chapter Notes - Social Studies (SST) Class 9

Introduction

The people are important to develop the economy and society. The people make and use resources and are themselves resources with varying quality. Coal was only a piece of rock until people were able to invent technology to obtain it and make it a ‘resource’. Hence, the 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. Their numbers, distribution, growth and characteristics or qualities provide the basic background for understanding and appreciating all aspects of the environment. Human beings are producers and consumers of the earth’s resources. Therefore, it is important to know how many people are there in a country, where do they live, how and why their numbers are increasing and what are their characteristics.

Three major aspects of the population are of primary concern:

• 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 are their age, sex-composition literacy levels, occupational structure and health conditions?

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 1991. Since then censuses have been held regularly every tenth year. The Indian census is the most comprehensive source of demographic, social and economic data.

Population Size and Distribution

Indian’s Population Size and Distribution by Numbers

• India’s population as of March 2011 stood at 1210.6 million, which account for 17.5 per cent of the world’s population. These 1.21 billion people have unevenly distributed over our country's vast area of 3.28 million square km, which accounts for 2.4 per cent of the world’s area.
• The 2011 Census data reveals that Uttar Pradesh with a population size of 199 million people 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 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.

Indian’s Population Distribution by Density

Population density is calculated as the number of persons per unit area. India is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. the population density of India in the year 2011 was 328 persons per sq. km. densities vary from 1,102 persons per sq. km in West Bengal to only 17 persons per sq km in Arunachal Pradesh.

• Low Density: The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Rajasthan And Madhya Pradesh Have Very Low Population Density. Rugged terrain and unfavourable climatic conditions are mainly responsible for the sparse population in these areas.
• Moderate Density: The bulk of the peninsula blocks and Assam have a moderate density of population. The distribution of population is influenced here by the rocky nature of the terrain, low to moderate rain, and shallow and less fertile soil.
• High density: The Northem Plains, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have a high to very high density of population because of the plain terrain, rice and fertile soil, abundant rainfall and moderate climate.

Population Growth and Processes of Population Change

The population is a dynamic phenomenon. the numbers, distribution and composition of the population are constantly changing. this is the influence of the three processes, namely – births, deaths and migrations.

Population Growth

• Growth of population refers to the change in the number of inhabitants of a country/territory during a specific period of time. Such a change can be expressed in two ways: in terms of absolute numbers and in terms of percentage change per year.
• The absolute number added each year or decade is the magnitude of increase. It is obtained by simply subtracting the earlier population from the latter population. It is referred to as the absolute increase. When a low annual rate is applied to a very large population, it yields a large absolute increase. India’s current annual increase in the population of 16.5 million is large enough to neutralize efforts to conserve the resource endowment and environment.
• 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.
• India’s population has been steadily increasing from 361 million in 1951 to 1210 million in 2011. From 1951 to 1981, the annual rate of population growth was steadily increasing. Since 1981, however, the rate of growth started declining gradually. During this period, birth rates declined rapidly. The declining trend of 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.

Processes of Population Change / Growth

There are there main processes of population change. They are:
(i) Birth rates                            
(ii) Death rates and                            
(iii) Migration
The natural increase of population is the difference between birth rates and death rates.

• Birth rate: Birth rate indicates the number of births in a country during a year per 1,000 population.
• Death rate: Death rate indicates the number of deaths in a country during a year per 1,000 population. The main cause of the rapid rate of growth of the Indian population is the fast decline in death rates. Since 1980, birth rates have started declining gradually, resulting in a gradual decline in the rate of population growth.
  The reasons for this trend are:
  (i) Most people especially in urban areas have adopted the two-child norm.
  (ii) Birth rate has also declined at a faster rate.
  (iii) Standard of living has increased considerably.
  (iv) Women folk are more conscious of their health.
  (v) Family Welfare Schemes are being adopted in a big way.
  (vi) Muslim population is also trying to keep their family small.
• Migration: Migration means the movement of people across regions and territories. Migration can be internal or international. 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 the 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.

Adolescent Population

The most significant feature of the Indian population is the size of its adolescent population. It constitutes one-fifth of the total population of India. Adolescents are generally grouped in the age group of 10 to 19 years. They are the most important resource for the future. The nutrition requirements of adolescents are higher than those of a normal child or adult. Poor nutrition can lead to deficiency and stunted growth. The diet available to adolescents is inadequate in all nutrients. A large number of adolescent girls suffer from anaemia. Their problems have so far not received adequate attention in the process of development.

National Population Policy

Recognizing that the planning of families would improve health and welfare, the Government of India initiated the comprehensive Family Planning Programme in 1952. the Family welfare Programme has sought to promote responsible and planned parenthood on a voluntary basis.
Major features of NPP 2000:

• The NPP 200 provides a policy framework for imparting free and compulsory school education to children up to 14 years of age.
• It aims at reducing the infant mortality rate to below 30 per 1000 live births. another aim is to achieve universal immunization of children against all vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Promotion of delayed marriage for girls.
• It also aims at making family welfare a people-centred programme.