Population

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Population is a dynamic phenomenon. The numbers, distribution and composition of the population are constantly changing.

This is the influence of the interaction of the three processes:

1. Birth Rate
2. Death Rate
3. Migrations

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.

1. The age composition of a population refers to the number of people in different age groups in a country.
2. It is one of the most basic characteristics of a population.
3. To an important degree, a person’s age influences what need buys, does and his capacity to perform.
4. The population of a nation is generally grouped into three broad categories:]
   1. Children (generally below 15 years)
   2. Working Age (15-59 years)
   3. Aged (Above 59 years)

Health is an important component of population composition, which affects the process of development. Sustained efforts of government programmes have registered significant improvements in the health conditions of the Indian population.

Literacy is a very important quality of a population. It can be defined as a person aged 7 years and above who can read and write with understanding in any language is treated as literate.

Low levels of literacy are a serious obstacle for economic improvement.

Recognising that the planning of families would improve individual 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.

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

The distribution of the population according to different types of occupation is referred to as the occupational structure.

The percentage of the population that is economically active is an important index of development.

Occupations are generally classified as:

1. Primary
2. Secondary
3. Tertiary

Primary activities include agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, fishing, mining and quarrying etc.

Secondary activities include manufacturing industry, building and construction work etc.

Tertiary activities include transport, communications, commerce, administration and other services.

The growth of population refers to the change in the number of inhabitants of a country/territory during a specific period of time.

There are three main processes of change of population:

1. Birth rates
2. Death rates
3. Migration

The natural increase of population is the difference between birth rates and death rates.

Birth rates: The birth rate is the number of live births per thousand persons in a year.

It is a major component of growth because, in India, birth rates have always been higher than death rates.

Death rates: Death rate is the number of deaths per thousand persons in a year. The main cause of the rate of growth of the Indian population has been the rapid decline in death rates.

Migration: Migration is the movement of people across regions and territories. Migration can be internal (within the country) or international (between the countries).

Migration plays a very significant role in changing the composition and distribution of the population.

1. Sex ratio is defined as the number of females per 1000 males in the population.
2. This information is an important social indicator to measure the extent of equality between males and females in a society at a given time.