Population Growth in India

Population Growth is the increase in the number of people on Earth. The actual annual increase in the human population is about 83 million, or 1.1%. Population growth is an important factor in overall economic growth and, in some cases, may even contribute to higher per capita output growth.

Distribution of Population

Population Density

Population density is the ratio between the number of people to the area of the land. It is measured in persons per square kilometre or km². The densely populated parts of the world are the north-eastern part of the U.S.A, north-western part of Europe, south, south-east and east Asia. The thinly populated regions of the world are near the north and south poles, the hot and the cold deserts and high rainfall zones near the equator. The population density of India in 2011 was 382 per sq. km.

Density of population = Total Population / Total Area
Patterns of population distribution and density give the demographic characteristics of any area.

Factors influencing the distribution of population

The following factors affect the population distribution:

Geographical factors
Economic factors
Social and cultural factors

Geographical Factors-

Water availability – Water is the most essential factor for the existence of life. It is used for multiple purposes like cooking, drinking, agriculture, etc. People prefer to inhabit areas with abundant water, which is why river valleys rank among the most densely populated areas in the world.
Landforms – The Ganga Plains constitute one of the most densely populated areas in the world, while the mountainous regions of the Himalayas are sparsely populated. People prefer flat plains and gentler slopes which are favourable for agricultural purposes, to build better road connectivity and for industries.
Climate – A climate which is neither too hot nor too cold attracts more people. Areas with very heavy rainfall or extreme and harsh climate have low population density.
Soil – Areas with fertile, loamy soils are preferred by people as this type of soil supports intensive agriculture.

Economic Factors-

Minerals –The regions with rich mineral deposits attract industries which in turn generate employment opportunities. People move to such places and make them thickly populated. For example, Katanga Zambia copper belt in Africa.
Urbanisation – Urban centres offer better employment opportunities, educational and medical facilities, have better means of transport and communication. This results in rural to urban migration and cities become densely populated.
Industrialisation – Industrial areas provide job opportunities thereby attracting a huge number of people. For example, the Kobe-Osaka region of Japan is densely populated due to the presence of a large number of industries.

Social and Cultural Factors-

Religious or cultural importance also affects the population density of a place. Such places attract more people and if there is social and political unrest in a region, people tend to move away from such places. Sometimes the government offers incentives to people to move to thinly populated areas or move away from overcrowded places.

Population Growth/Population Change

It refers to the change in the number of inhabitants of a territory over a specific period of time. Population growth is expressed either in terms of percentage or absolute numbers. It can be positive as well as negative. Population change indicates the economic development, social upliftment and historical and cultural background of the area.

Some Basic Concepts of Population Geography

Growth of population – It is the change of population in a particular area between two points of time.
Growth rate of population – When the change in population is expressed in terms of percentage, it is the growth rate of population.
Natural growth of population – Natural Growth = Births – Deaths (It is the population increase by the difference between births and deaths in a particular region between two points of time).
Actual growth of population – Actual Growth = Births – Deaths + In Migration – Out Migration.
Positive growth of population – This happens when the birth rate is more than the death rate between two points of time or when people from other countries migrate permanently to a region.
Negative growth of population – This happens when the population decreases between two points of time, either when the birth rate falls below the death rate or people migrate to other regions.

Components of Population Change

There are three components of population change – births, deaths and migration.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR) – It is expressed as the number of live births in a year per thousand of the population.

2. Crude Death Rate (CDR) – It is expressed in terms of the number of deaths in a particular year per thousand of population in a particular region. It is a simple method to measure the mortality of any area.

3. Migration – The population size also changes by way of migration. Migration refers to the movement of people from one place to the other, the place they move from is called the place of origin and the place they move to is called the place of destination. Migration may be permanent, temporary or even seasonal. The people who move are called migrants. Migrants who move into a new place are called immigrants and migrants who move out of a place are called emigrants. The main purpose of migration is to attain better economic and social life.
Factors that influence migration-

Push factors – The factors like poor living conditions, unemployment, unpleasant climate, political turmoil, epidemics, natural disasters and social-economic backwardness make the place of origin seem less attractive.
Pull factors – The factors like better living conditions, job opportunities, peace and stability, security of life and property, and pleasant climate make the place of destination more attractive

Population growth of India:

The population is a dynamic phenomenon and its influence or get changes through three processes:

Birth
Death
Migration

Population growth means incremental population, it is generally measured by two processes.

The magnitude of increase or absolute number increase
The rate of increase per year or per decade; is also called the annual growth rate of decadal growth rate.

The below table will give information about India’s population growth since 1951.

There is 4 phase of population growth in India:

Phase 1( 1901-1921):

Stagnant or stationary phase.
The population even declined between 1911-1921.

Phase II 🙁 1921-1951)

Period of steady population growth due to improvement in health.

Phase-III( 1951-1981):

Very high population growth or period of population explosion.
The average annual rate of 2.2 %

Phase-IV( 1981-present):

High absolute increment with a slowing decadal growth rate

Regional variation in population growth:

From 1991 to 2011 data:

The slow growth rate in southern states and Orissa. Not exceeding 20 % decadal growth.
- Kerala registered only 9.4 % decadal growth.
The high growth rate in the northern, northeastern, and central states. 20-25 % decadal growth registered.

What burdens does high population impose?

More mouths to feed.
More infrastructure to be created.
More demands on energy resources.
More jobs to be provided at higher productivity levels to ensure that per capita incomes do not fall.
For the last burden to be overcome, an investment in education and health becomes paramount.

What is needed?

India’s ‘demographic dividend’ will materialise only if its workforce is productive.
The capacity of the Indian state to equip ever large numbers with reasonable skills is already stretched.
Since this increase in numbers is concentrated in the northern States, it imposes a burden on the better-off western and southern States to create jobs and infrastructure.
To contain socio-economic imbalances, it is important that the outlier States are brought in line and their labour productivity improved.

Literacy Rate in India

The Population Commission of United Nations considers the ability, to both read and write a simple message with understanding in any language, a sufficient basis for classifying a person as Literate.

The adult illiteracy rate in India is 287 million, or 37% of the world’s population. The overall literacy rate in India is 74.04%, with Bihar having the lowest rate at 61.80%.

Illiteracy has a wide-ranging impact on an individual’s life. Without the ability to read and write, an illiterate can only work as unskilled labor and cannot enter the labor force.
They also lack the knowledge necessary to make decisions that will affect their society and themselves.
The state of Bihar not only has the lowest literacy rate but there is also a huge gap between the male and female literacy of the state. Female literacy in Bihar is 51.5%, whereas male literacy is 71.2%, which is much higher.
Furthermore, children of illiterate parents do not receive the same education as children of educated parents.
Even if they attend the same school, children with illiterate parents lack the understanding that educated parents may instill in their children.

Why is the Literacy Rate so Low in India?

A complicated network of social and economic disparities is the reason for the low literacy rate in India. Inequality in the economy, gender, caste, and technology impediments contribute to illiteracy in India. India has a continuous illiteracy problem because the majority of adult illiterates live there. As a result, illiteracy is impeding India’s social and economic advancement.

Racial Groups

Race is a group of individuals who may be distinguished from other groups by physical characteristics such as skin colour, hair colour, jaw structure, and eye structure. As a result, race may be defined as a biological notion relating to a person’s physical and genetic features.

As a result, India is said to have a wide and diversified ethnic composition, as it is home to nearly all of the world’s main races.
Every living civilization is a result of its history. Societies are constantly redefining themselves as a result of internal or external changes.

Racial Groups of India – Risley’s Classification

Turko-Iranian – Both of these locations are currently in Pakistan. Iranians-Turks People are tall and have a light skin tone.
They have dark eyes and a small nose.
Indo-Aryan – This ethnic group is mostly found in Punjab, Rajasthan, and Kashmir.
This group includes Rajputs, Khatris, and Jats. Long heads and big noses characterise the majority of the population.
They have a tall stature, a light complexion, and black eyes.
Scytho-Dravidians – This race is a cross between Scythians and Dravidians. They may be found in the states of Saurashtra, Coorg, and Madhya Pradesh. Scythian people belong to the top layers, whereas Dravidian people belong to the lower strata. They have a large head, a nice nose, are of medium height, and have a fair complexion.
Arya – Dravidian – it is a hybrid of two races: Indo Aryan and Dravidian. They are mostly found in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Brahmins and other members of the upper castes are classified as Aryans, whereas Harijans and other members of the lower castes are classified as Dravidians.
Their skin ranges from light brown to black, and they have a long head.
Dravidian-Mongol – This race is a cross of Dravidian and Mongolian races. They are mostly concentrated in West Bengal and Orissa.
This group includes Brahmins and Kshatriyas from these areas. This racial type emerged as a consequence of the intermixture of Mongolians and Dravidians, with some Indo-Aryan elements also present.
These folks are usually dark, have a round head, a medium nose, and are of average height.
Mongoloids – This race includes the tribal peoples of Assam and the North-Eastern border.
Dravidian – Dravidians are primarily found in South India and Madhya Pradesh. Chotanagpur’s Santhals are an example of this genre. Their skin is black, their eyes are dark, their head is long, and their nose is big.