Population

The Significance of Population

• Human beings are the pivotal element in social studies, acting as both producers and consumers of Earth's resources.
• Resources, calamities, and disasters only gain meaning in relation to how they affect human populations.
• The Census of India is the primary source of demographic data, with the first complete census conducted in 1881 and held every ten years since.

Population Size and Distribution

• As of the 2011 Census, India's population was 1,210.6 million, accounting for 17.5% of the world's population.
• India occupies only 2.4% of the world's total land area (3.28 million square km).
• Distribution is highly uneven: Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state (199 million), while Sikkim has only 0.6 million people.
• Nearly half of the country's population resides in just five states: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh.

Population Density

• The average population density of India in 2011 was 382 persons per sq km.
• Density varies drastically from 1,102 persons per sq km in Bihar to just 17 in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Environmental factors play a key role: rugged terrain and harsh climates lead to sparse populations, while flat, fertile plains with high rainfall (like the Northern Plains and Kerala) support high densities.

Processes of Population Change

• Population is dynamic, changing through three main processes: Births, Deaths, and Migration.
• Natural Increase: The difference between birth rates and death rates. Historically, India’s high growth was due to rapidly declining death rates while birth rates remained high.
• Migration: Movement within the country (internal) does not change the total population size but significantly alters distribution and composition (age/sex) across regions.
• Growth Trends: Since 1981, birth rates have started declining, leading to a gradual decline in the growth rate, though the absolute increase remains massive.

Adolescent Population and Health

• Adolescents (ages 10–19) constitute one-fifth of India’s population and are the most important resource for the future.
• Nutrition is a major concern; many adolescent girls suffer from anemia, and diets are often inadequate in essential nutrients.

National Population Policy (NPP) 2000

• The NPP 2000 aims to improve individual health and welfare through planned efforts.
• Key objectives include:
  • Free and compulsory school education up to 14 years.
  • Reducing infant mortality to below 30 per 1,000 live births.
  • Achieving universal immunization of children.
  • Promoting delayed marriage for girls and making family welfare a people-centered program.