POPULATION

1. What does a "Census" mean?

Ans: A Census is an official, systematic process of collecting, recording, and analysing information
about the population of a country or region. It typically includes data on the number of people, their
demographic characteristics (such as age, sex, and occupation), and other relevant social and
economic information. In many countries, including India, a census is conducted every ten years to
provide detailed insights into the population and help guide government planning and policy-
making.

2. What might be the cause of India's unequal population distribution?

Ans:
 Climate: Regions with favourable climates, such as moderate temperatures and adequate
rainfall, tend to have higher population densities. In contrast, extreme climates, such as the
arid conditions of Rajasthan or the cold of the Himalayan regions, have lower population
densities.
 Terrain and Soil Fertility: Fertile plains, such as the Indo-Gangetic Plain, support dense
populations due to their suitability for agriculture. Mountainous and hilly terrains, such as
those found in the Himalayas and the Western Ghats, are less populated due to difficult
living and farming conditions.
 Availability of Water: Areas with abundant water sources, such as rivers and lakes, support
larger populations due to the availability of water for drinking, agriculture, and industry.
Arid regions with scarce water resources have sparse populations.
 Economic Opportunities: Urban areas and regions with industrial and commercial
activities attract larger populations due to better employment opportunities. Cities like
Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru have high population densities due to their economic
prospects.
 Infrastructure and Services: Regions with well-developed infrastructure, including
transportation, healthcare, and education facilities, tend to have higher populations as they
offer a better quality of life.
 Historical and Cultural Factors: Some areas have been historically and culturally
significant, leading to higher populations. For example, the densely populated region of the
Ganges Valley has been a cultural and economic centre for centuries.

3. Compose a brief comment on "The Size and Distribution of India's Population."

Ans:
 India is the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion people, but this
population is unevenly distributed due to various factors. High population densities are
found in fertile regions like the Indo-Gangetic Plain, encompassing states such as Uttar
Pradesh and Bihar, which benefit from abundant water and fertile land.
 Moderate densities are seen in states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, which have a mix of
urban and rural areas with diverse economic activities. Low population densities are
characteristic of arid regions like Rajasthan and the mountainous areas of the Himalayas.
 Also, around 65% of the population lives in rural areas, though urban areas like Mumbai and
Delhi are rapidly growing due to better economic opportunities. This uneven distribution
 impacts resource allocation, infrastructure development, and policy implementation across
the country.
4. Why has India's population growth rate decreased since 1981?
Ans:
 Economic Development: Economic growth and urbanisation have shifted the economic
benefits of having large families. In urban settings, the cost of raising children is higher, and
families often prefer to have fewer children to provide better opportunities and quality of
life.
 Health Improvements: Advances in healthcare have reduced infant and child mortality
rates, leading to fewer "replacement" births. When parents are confident that their children
will survive, they tend to have fewer children.
 Government Policies: Government initiatives and policies promoting small family norms
have played an important role. Campaigns like the National Population Policy and various
state-level family planning programs have encouraged families to limit the number of
children.
 Changing Social Norms: There has been a gradual shift in societal attitudes towards
smaller family sizes. As more families adopt the trend of having fewer children, it influences
others in the community to do the same.

5. What constitutes the bulk of the population growth?

Ans:
Birth Rate:
 The number of live births per 1,000 people in a given year.
 Impact: A higher birth rate increases the population size, while a lower birth rate reduces it.
Death Rate:
 The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a given year.
 Impact: A higher death rate decreases the population size, while a lower death rate increases
it.
Migration:
 The movement of people from one place to another can be internal (within a country) or
international (between countries).
 Impact:
o Immigration: The arrival of people into an area increases its population.
o Emigration: The departure of people from an area decreases its population.

6. Why has India's population growth rate decreased since 1981?

Ans:
 Economic Development: Economic growth and urbanisation have shifted the economic
benefits of having large families. In urban settings, the cost of raising children is higher, and
families often prefer to have fewer children to provide better opportunities and quality of
life.
 Health Improvements: Advances in healthcare have reduced infant and child mortality
rates, leading to fewer "replacement" births. When parents are confident that their children
will survive, they tend to have fewer children.
 Government Policies: Government initiatives and policies promoting small family norms
have played an important role. Campaigns like the National Population Policy and various
 state-level family planning programs have encouraged families to limit the number of
children.
 Changing Social Norms: There has been a gradual shift in societal attitudes towards
smaller family sizes. As more families adopt the trend of having fewer children, it influences
others in the community to do the same.

7. What do you mean by population growth and what are the two different ways in which
Population growth can be expressed?
Ans. Growth of population refers to the change in the number of inhabitants of a country or territory
during a specific period of time (like a year or a decade). It can be expressed in the following ways.
a) The absolute numbers added each year or decade is the magnitude of increase. It is obtained by
subtracting the base population (e.g. that of 1991) from the later population (e.g. that of 2001). This
is known as the absolute increase.
b) The rate of population increase is studied in per cent per annum eg. A rate of increase of a 2 per
cent per annum means that in a particular year, there was an increase of 2 persons for every 100
persons in the base population. This is referred to as the annual growth rate.

8. What is Migration? What are the different types of migration?

Ans. The important component of population growth / change is migration. Migration is the
movement of
people across regions and territories. Migration can be of two types
a) Internal i.e., within the country. This mainly happens from rural to urban areas.
b) International (between the countries) International migration can be further divided into
immigration
(when people come to a country from another country) and emigration (when people leave that
country)
9. How is migration a determinant of population change?
Ans. Migration is an important determinant of population change. It not only changes the
population size but
also the population composition eg. of urban and rural populations composition in terms of age also.
It brings about a change in the density of the population too.
10. What do you mean by internal migration? What kind of internal migration is common in
India? Give reasons and what are its impacts?
Internal migration is the movement of people within the country. It doesn’t change the population
size, but influences the distribution of population within the nation.
In India, internal migration most commonly has been from the rural to urban areas because of the
push factors in rural areas, that are
a) the adverse conditions of poverty
b) not enough job opportunities,
c) lack of infrastructure for health
d) lack of education facilities.
because of these push factor in rural areas, these people are forced to migrate to urban areas, also
termed as the Pull factors in urban areas, i.e.,
a) increased employment opportunities
b) better living conditions
c) better infrastructural development.
 The rural – urban migration has resulted in the urban population increasing from 17.29% of the total
population in 1951 to 31.80% in 2011. There has also been a significant increase in the number of
‘million plus cities’ from 35 to 53 in one decade i.e.,2001 to 2011.

11. Write a note on the population policy of India?

Ans. Family Welfare Programme: The government initiated the first population policy of India in
1952, and called it the ‘Family Welfare Programme’. It aimed to promote responsible and planned
Parenthood on a voluntary basis.
National Population Policy 2000
The National Population Policy has the following objectives:
1) Imparting free and compulsory school education up to 14 years of age.
2) Reducing infant mortality rate to below 30 per 1000 live births.
3) Achieving universal immunization of children against all vaccine preventable diseases.
4) Promoting delayed marriage for girls and
5) Making family welfare a people centred programmed.
12. What do you mean by adolescent population?
Ans. Adolescents are generally grouped in the age group of 10 to 19 years. They are the most
important resource for the country. Adolescents constitute one fifth of the total population of India.
They are the future labour force of the country. They have high nutritional requirements but in
India, the diet available to adolescents is inadequate in all nutrients. Poor nutrition can lead to
deficiency and stunted growth. A lot of adolescent girls suffer from anaemia.

13. Give the difference between Population Growth and Population Change.

Population Growth Population Change

Population growth refers to the change in the
number of inhabitants of a country and territory Population change refers to the change in the number
during a specific period of time like the last ten of people during a specific period of time.
years, last 15 years and so on.
It can be expressed in terms of absolute numbers
It can be expressed in the number of individuals.
and in terms of the percentage change in a year
Population growth is when population increases. Population change can be increase and decrease
Population growth can be determined by the Population change can be determined by the difference
difference between birth rate and death rate with between the size of the population from the beginning
migration per year to the end of a certain time period.
Population growth does not alter the population
Can alter the population composition.
composition.

Q14. What are the advantages of having healthy population?

A: Healthy population is the key factor in the development of the country. When the population of a
country is healthy it has many contributions for betterment and development of the country.
Advantages of a healthy population
The advantages of having a healthy population are listed below
 Makes the nation strong in all spheres
 Enables creating a developed and prosperous nation
 Enhances the economic growth of a country
 The capacity of a nation to compete globally with all other nations in any sphere of
requirement
 Enables the citizen to access and use all the facilities of the country