Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in MODULE - 9

Human resource development in

26

POPULATION DENSITY, Notes

DISTRIBUTION AND
GROWTH IN INDIA

So far we have had a look at the natural resources of India. They include
land, soil, water, forest, mineral and wild life resources. We have also
noted the distribution of these above mentioned resources as well as
direction and pace of their exploitation and utilization for development. All
these aspects are to be studied in relation to people living in the country. By
people we mean not onlytheir numbers as consumers but also as developers
or managers of natural resources. For this purpose, we look at their
educationaland health status, their vocational, technical, and social skills and
above all their aspirations, value systemincluding work habits or “work
ethics”. In this context you would realise that people are not mere
consumers but also constitute the most important resources of a country. In
this lesson, we will examine the size of India’s population in the world
context. We will study distrubution and density of population and various
factors influencing them. Finally, we will also analyse trends in population
growth, their determinants and consequences.

OBJECTIVE
After studying this lesson, you will be able to:
 explain the size of Indian population in the world perspective;
 analyse factors responsible for uneven distribution of population;
 locate areas of dense, moderate and sparse population on a map;
 interpret the data about distribution, density and growth of population;
 explain the trends in population growth during the last hundred years
(i.e. 1901-2001);
GEOGRAPHY 1
MODULE - 9 Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
Human resource
development in India  identify factors responsible for rapid growth of population;
 define various demographic terms such as birth rate, death rate etc:
 appreciate the need for lowering the growth rate of population, and
 analyse causes and consequences of in and out migration in the country.

Notes India
26.1 is the second most
POPULATION OFpopulous country in the world next only to China.
On March 1, 2001 the total population of India was at 1027 million. This
accounted for 16.7% of the world’s total population. In other words, about
every sixth person in the world there is an Indian. China, the most populous
country of the world, is a step ahead of us as every fifth person in the world
there is a Chinese. While India possesses only 2.42% of the world’s total
land area, she is required to sustain almost 17% of the world’s population.
In terms of area, India stands seventh preceded by Russia, Canada, China,
the United States of America, Brazil and Australia. Barring China, the total
population of these large five countries is far less than that of India. The total
area of these five countries is over sixteen times whereas their total population
is much less than that of India. This may partly explain how handicapped we
are because of our huge population. It can also be revealed from the fact that
the total population of North America, South America and Australia added
together is less than the population of India. On the top of it, we are adding
over 17 million people each year. It is more than the total population of
Australia. In fact the net addition to Chinese population each year is less
than ours.
26.2 DENSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION
Population of the world or of any country is not uniformly distributed. The
same is true about India also. Some parts of the country are densely
populated, some parts moderately populated and some parts are sparsely
populated. (see figure 26.1)
The size of population of different areas can be compared in many ways.
One of the ways can be to compare the absolute size of the population. But
it does not provide any idea about the relationship of population with the
area or resource base of the country. This type ofcomparison is therefore not
adequate. For example, population of Singapore is 4.2 million and that of
Peoples Republic of China is 1,300 million. Indeed one is too small and the
other is too big. Now take into consideration that the area of Singapore is
just 630 sq. km; whereas China has an area of 9.5 million [Link]. This helps
us to know how crowded Singapore is as compared to China. Therefore, the
population of various countries are generally compared in terms of density
of population. This is a method of comparing the man-land ratio of different
regions. For this purpose, the population of a region is assumed to be
distributed evenly in all its parts and the number of people per square
kilometre is thus calculated. This is called arithmatic densityof population.

2 GEOGRAP
Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
MODULE - 9
Which can be calculated by dividing the total population of a country or a Human resource development in
region by the total area. Therefore the density of population is expressed as
the number of persons per square kilometre. According to 2001 census, the
density of population in India is 324 persons per square kilometre. Over the
last 100 years density has increased more than four times. It has increased
from 77 in 1901 to 324 in 2001. When we say that the density of population
of India is 324 persons per square kilometre, this does not mean that
population is exactly 324 persons in each and every square kilometre. Notes

Fig. 26.1 : INDIA : Distribution of Population 2001

In reality, the distribution of population in India is highlyuneven. The uneven
density of population in India is clear from the fact that in Arunachal Pradesh
the average number of population is only 13 persons per square kilometre,
whereas it is 9,294 persons per square kilometre in Delhi as per 2001 census.
GEOGRAPHY 3
MODULE - 9 Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
Human resource development in India
Comparison of populations of different countries or region becomes more meaningful if i
This is an expression of man-land ratio.
The density of population can be expressed as

Notes = Total number of people of a country

Density
Total area of the country.

As
26.3weFACTORS
discussed earlier, the spatialDISTRIBUTION
INFLUENCING spread of population
AND in India is not
DENSITY
[Link] are very wide regional variations. Let us see what factors are
POPULATION
responsible for these variations. All such factors affecting the population
distribution and density may broadly be grouped into two major categories.
They are (A) physical factors and (B) socio-economic factors.
(A) Physical Factors
Physical factors playa vital role in the density and distribution of population.
Physical factors include landform, climate, soil, etc. Though there is a lot of
improvement in technology but the patterns of population distribution all over
the world continues to reflect the influence of varied physical factors.
(i) Landforms : it influence the distribution pattern of population. The
most important attributes of landforms which determine population
density and distribution are the altitude and slope. The most striking
evidence of the influence of altitude and slope on population density
and distribution have been observed between mountains and plains.
For example, take the case of most densely populated Indo-Ganga
plains on the one hand and a highly mountainous state of Arunachal
Pradesh on the other.
Other than this, factors like drainage, and water table have also been
affecting population distribution.
(ii) Climate : is one of the essentialelements of the physicalfactors which
influence the spatial distribution of population through temperature
conditions and the amount of precipitation. Take the case of hot and
dry deserts of Rajasthan and the cold and wet Eastern Himalayan region
where very low temperature and heavy precipitations prevail. This is the
reason for uneven distribution and low density of population here.
Almost even distribution and high density of population are found in
plains of Kerala and West Bengal where rainfall is high. It is low in the
regions of Rajasthan, and lee-ward sides of Western Ghats.
(iii) Soil: is another factor which affects the density and distribution of
population. One may be tempted to question the validity of the role of
soil in the present

4 GEOGRAP
Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
MODULE - 9
Human resource development in
day highlyindustrialised society. But even today about 75 percent of
population in India lives in villages. People in villages earn their livelihood
fromagriculture which depends upon the quality of soil. That is why
alluvial region of northern plains and coastal and deltaic regions of
India continue to support high densities of population. On the other
hand, it may be worth mentioning that vast tracts of land in desert
areas like Rajasthan, Rann of Kuchchh in Gujarat,Terai region in
Uttarakhand have been suffering from problems like soil erosion and Notes
soil effloresce which support only low densityof population.
In any region, the density and distribution is influenced by more than
one factor. Take for example North-Eastern region of India. Here
several factors are responsible for low density of population. These
factors are high rainfall, rough terrain, dense forests and poor quality of
soil.
(B) Socio-Economic Factors
Like physical factors, socio-economic factors also play an equally
important role in density and distribution of population. However, there
may not be a perfect agreement upon the relative importance of these
two determinants. In certain places physical factors play a vital role
whereas in some places socio-economic factors have a greater impact. It
has generally been agreed that the role of socio-economic (non-physical)
determinants increases. Various socio-economic factors which have
impact upon the population are (i) socio- cultural and political factors;
(ii) exploitation of natural resources.
(i) Socio-Cultural and Political Factors : Mumbai-Pune industrial
complex is a good example to show how social, cultural, historical and
political factors collectively have contributed to its rapid growth of
population and its density. Less than 200 years ago, there were small
insignificant islands of the Thana Creek on the western coast. The
adventurous Portuguese seamen claimed these islands for their
monarch. They in turn gifted these islands to the Royal Family of
England by way of dowry. These couple of sleepy fishing village
located on these islands could never guess that they would shortly turn
into India’s largest population conglomeration. East India Company of
England set up a trading centre on these islands and later made it the
capital city of Bombay Presidency. Enterprising trading and business
communities of Parsis, Kuchchhis and Gujaratis played a leading role
in setting textile mills, development of water power and laying roads
and railways across the Western Ghats connecting it with its
hinterland. Unexpectedly, the Suez internationalnavigation canalmade
Mumbai the nearest Indianport to Europe. Availability of educated youth
from Mumbai and Pune and inexpensive and disciplined labour from
Konkan also contributed to the rapid population growth. The discovery

GEOGRAPHY 5
of Bombay High oil and natural gas fields gave boost to its petro-
chemicalindustry. Today, Mumbai is known as commercial capital of
India backed by international and domestic airports, major sea ports and
national road and rail terminals. Simillar is the case with other cities
like Kolkata and Chennai which were established by the colonial rulers.

6 GEOGRAP
(ii) Availability of Natural Resources : The Chhotanagpur Plateau
region has all along been a rocky and rugged terrains. This rainy and
forested region has been a home of several tribes and was one of the
sparsely populated parts of the country. However, a string of industrial
towns and centres have sprung up over the past century soon after rich
minerals such as iron-ore, manganese, limestone, coal etc. were found
in unusual abundance and close to one another. The rich coal and iron
fields have attracted heavy industries particularly iron and steel, heavy
engineering, metallurgy and transport equipment industries. The region
has also important super-power thermal stations from where power is
supplied to far off areas. After liberalisation, many multi-nationals as
well as national companies have been establishing their industries in
large numbers.
26.4 POPULATION DENSITYAT STATE LEVEL
Population data can be plotted and described or interpreted in a couple of
ways depending upon its purpose. For finding out a broad distribution pattern,
population is collected and plotted on the basis of large units like states or
their major parts. If information is needed for more accurately, the smaller
units like districts or even tehsils are used. Let us first find out a broad pattern
of population distribution and density in India.
On the basis of availability ofstate level data, the density of population in
India can be broadly divided into three zones : the areas of high density, the
areas of moderate density and the areas of low density.
(i) Areas of High Density
In the map given above (Fig. 26.1) the areas having a density of population
of more than 400 persons per square kilometre are included in this category.
These areas have a high density due to fertile land and high amount of
precipitation e.g. Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. In these regions, a
larger number of people can be provided sustainance per unit ofarea due to
availability of fertile land which can produce more food for a large number
of people. But the situation is entirely different in the case of Union
Territories like Delhi, Chandigarh and Pondicherry. These regions are highly
urbanised and offer job opportunities in industrial and service sectors. Thus
we can say that the areas having fertile soil and those having good
employment opportunities are densely populated. Find out which are the
other states which have high density of population.
(ii) Areas of Moderate Density
States and Union Territories in which the density of population ranges
between 100 and 400 persons per square kilometre are called areas of
moderate density of population. They are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Dadra &
Nagar Haveli, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Orisa, Rajasthan, Tripura, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir,
GEOGRAPHY Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, 7
Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
MODULE - 9
Human resource
Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya. This region includes largest part of the development in India
country in terms of area. Broadly speaking moderate density of population is
characterised by the areas in which the agriculture is handicapped by rugged
topography, lower amount ofprecipitation and paucity ofwater for irrigation.
The scope for developing primary and secondary activities is quite large if the
facilities are provided in this area. For example, at the time of independence
Chhotanagpur region was a sparsely populated area but development in the Notes
field of mining and industries in this part of the country has been mainly
responsible for moderate density of population in this region.

GEOGRAPHY Fig. 26.2 INDIA : Density of population

245
MODULE - 9 Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
Human resource development in India
(iii) Areas of Low Density
All the remaining parts of India having a density of population less than 100
persons per square kilometre may be classified under this category. The States
and Union Territories falling under this category include Arunachal Pradesh,
Mizoram, Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Low density population
areas are characterised by rough terrain, low rainfall or unhealthy climate.
Notes Due to the above reasons the prospects of earning livelihood is low in these
areas. Agriculture cannot be developed in too dry or cold areas. Uneven
topography and poor agricultural resources put a limit on urbanisation and
industrialisation. Therefore, the number of persons that can be supported per
unit area is low in such regions. Difficulties exist not only in transport and
communication in the hilly and mountainous areas but also in the over all
levels of economic development. That is why the density of population in all
these areas is low.

 POPULATION
26.5 The areas of high density include
DENSITYAT the statesLEVEL
DISTRICT of West Bengal, Kerala,
Bihar, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and Union
But a Territories
minute observation
of Delhi,shows that in each
Chandigarh, state therePondicherry
Lakshadweep, are variations
andin
distribution
Daman of and
population
Diu. and more than one category of population density
is found. The geographical or spatial distribution becomes more clear by
 All these areas provide good scope for earnig a livelihood through
making an analysis of district level pattern. The great unevenness in
either agriculture or through jobs in various types of secondaryand
distribution is mainly because of the diverse physical conditions as well as
tertiary activities.
the variations in distribution of natural resources and stages of economic
 The areasIt of
development. low from
varies density of population
2 persons in India
per square includeinArunachal
kilometre Lahul and
Pradesh,
Spiti district of Mizorm,
HimachalSikkim
PradeshandtoAndaman & Nicobar
29,395 persons [Link] in
per square
National CapitalTerritory of Delhi. The top twenty districts in the country are
either fully urban or highly urbanized. It includes all the nine districts of
Delhi; Kolkata, Hawrah, North Twenty-Four Pargana in West Bengal;
Mumbai and Mumbai (suburban) in Maharashtra; Mahe and Pondicherry in
Union Territory of Pondicherry, Chennai; Bangalore; Hyderabad and Union
Territory of Chandigarh. The density is generally high over two marked
continuous stretches of land. They are (a) large parts of Northern plains from
Punjab to West Bengal and (b) Coastal plains from Orissa coast in the east
to Konkan coast in the west. A belt of moderately high densities extend over
the entire Maharashtra, plains of Gujarat, Telangana, parts of Tamil Nadu,
southern Karnataka and the Chhotanagpur region of Jharkhand. The areas of
low density are generally found over the hilly

24 GEOGRAP
Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
MODULE - 9
Human resource development in
forested and snow bound areas of the country, mainly situated in the
Himalayan region, desert areas of Rajasthan specifically Jaisalmer districts
and large expanse of uninhabited marshy lands of Kachchh districts of
Gujarat.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 26.1 Notes

1. Name three states having a high density of population
(i) —————— (ii)———————— and (iii) ————————
2. Name any three Union Territories in India which fall under the areas of
high density of population
(i) ——————— (ii) ——————— and (iii) ————————
3. Name any three sates falling under the category of areas of low density
of population
(i) ——————— (ii) ——————— and (iii) ————————
4. Name any one Union Territory having a low density of population

5. Fill in the blanks with most appropriate words given in the brackets.
(a) Areas receiving ample precipitation and having fertile soils are
likely to have a ————— density of population. (high,
moderate, low)
(b) Areas suffering from droughts and having a rough terrain are
likely to have a —————— density of population. (high,
moderate, low)

26.6 GROWTH OF POPULATION

The growth of population in a region depends upon fertility, mortality and
migration. Fertility or the birth rate is measured in terms of total number of
live births per thousand population per year. Generally, the fertility rate is
affected by various social, economic and demographic factors. Mortality or
the death rate is measured in terms of total number of deaths per thousand
population per year. The difference between these two rates (i.e. fertility and
mortality) is called the natural growth rate. The term migration refers to the
movement of people from one area to the other or from one country to
another. The rate of migration affects the growth of population of a region
by increasing or decreasing the number of people living there.
The growth rate of population may be positive or negative. A positive growth
rate of population mean an increase in the number of people living in a
region, whereas negative growth rate means declining population. A positive

GEOGRAP 247
growth rate occurs when the number of births and in migration exceeds the
number of deaths and out migration; the negative growth rate means just
opposite to positive growth rate.

24 GEOGRAP
MODULE - 9 Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
Human resource
development in India
Table 26.1 INDIA : POPULATION GROWTH (1901-2001)
Census Year Population in Absolute Average
Million change Change annual
in Millions in% growth in
%
Notes 1901 238.40 – – –
1911 252.09 + 13.70 5.75 0.56
1921 251.32 -0.77 -0.31 -0.03
1931 278.98 +27.66 11.00 1.04
1941 318.66 +39.68 14.22 1.33
1951 361.09 +42.43 13.31 1.25
1961 439.23 +78.15 21.64 1.96
1971 548.16 +108.92 24.80 2.22
1981 683.33 +135.17 24.66 2.22
1991 843.39 +163.06 23.86 2.14
2001 1027.02 +180.63 21.34 1.93

District level Pattern

The district level analysis reflects that there are as many as 19 districts where
the growth rate is very high i.e. more than fifty percent. On the other hand
there are 58 districts where growth rate is very low i.e. less than ten percent.
Out of the 19 very high growth rate districts five belong to Nagaland and four
to Delhi. Similarly, out of 58 very low growth rate districts, as many as forty
districts are in the southern part of India. Out of these forty districts as
many as twenty are in Tamil Nadu, eleven in Kerala, five in Andhra Pradesh
and four in Karnataka.
If we look at the district level pattern, it has been marked that higher growth
rates are visible in almost the entire Indo-Gangetic plains extending from
Haryana in the west to West Bengal in the east. High growth rates are also
observed in the regions north of Satpura Ranges, spreading across the
Malwa plateau, entire Rajasthan including the great Indian desert, Western
Maharashtra and parts of North-Eastern states. On the other hand relatively
low growth rate is observed in Godavari basin, Chhatisgarh plains,
Chhotanagpur plateau and western part of West Bengal and Orissa. Very
low growth rates are observed in Punjab, Uttarakhand, and in the southern
regions of the Deccan plateau.
Look at the table 26.1, you will find that the total population of our country

GEOGRAP 249
(as per political frontiers today), was 238 million. By 2001, it had risen to a
phenomenal figure of 1027 million. About 788 million persons were added in
the last century.

25 GEOGRAP
Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
MODULE - 9
Human resource development in
The rise is of about 4.3 times since 1901. If we look at this 100 years population
growth then, it can be broadly grouped under the following four categories.
1. Period of stagnant growth rate (before 1921)
2. Period of steady growth rate (1921-1951)
3. Period of rapid growth rate (1951-1981)
4. Period of declining growth rate (after Notes

1981) Let us discuss each phase briefly.

1. Before 1921 the increase in population was sporadic, irregular and
slow. This was mainlydue to high birth and death rate. Therefore, the
naturalgrowth was insignificant. In 1911-21 the absolute increase
declines marginally due to famines, epidemics etc. After 1921 the
population has been increasing. Therefore, 1921 is known as
demographic divide in the population study of India.
2. Since 1921 to 1951 there was a steady increase in population. This is
because of steady delcline in death rates. The decline was mainlydue to
improvement in sanitation and medical facilities. Other factors which
helped were development in road facilities which helped in meeting the
exigencies of food shortage and substantial improvement in agricultural
economy. Therefore, the population growth during this period was
known as mortality induced growth.
3. This is a very crucial phase as far as population growth of India is
concerned. The population was almost doubled during these three
decades. During this period there was a rapid decline in death rate
whereas the decline in birth rate was marginal. Look at the table, you
will find birth rate was reduced from 41.7 to 37.2 whereas death rate
was reduced from 22.8 to 15.0 during this period. Therefore the
difference between birth rate and death rate was very high and as a
result natural growth rate remains very high. This was due to
acceleration in developmental activities further improvement in medical
facilities, improvement in living conditions of the people etc. This period
of growth is termed as fertility induced growth.
4. In the last two decades i.e. 1981-91 and 1991-2001, the rate of growth
started declining gradually. It signals the beginning of a new era in
the demographic history of India. During this period birth declined
significantly, from 37.2 in 1971-81 to 24.8 in 1991-2001. Whereas the
decline in death rate continued in a slower rate. The death rate has
declined from 15.0 to 8.9 during this period. This declining trend is a
positive one and may be attributed to effective government role in
promoting family welfare programmes and peoples awareness.

GEOGRAP 251
Table 26.2 Annual Birth Rates, Death Rates
and Natural Growth Rates 1901-2001
Decade Birth rate Death rate Natural Growth Natural
per thousand per thousand per thousand growth (in
percentage)
1901-11 49.2 42.6 6.6 0.60
1911-21 48.1 47.2 0.9 0.09
1921-31 46.4 36.3 10.1 1.01
1931-41 45.2 31.2 14.0 1.40
1941-51 39.9 27.4 12.5 1.25
1951-61 41.7 22.8 18.9 1.89
1961-71 41.2 19.0 22.2 2.22
1971-81 37.2 15.0 22.2 2.22
1981-91 32.7 11.7 21.0 2.10
1991-2001 24.8 8.9 15.9 1.60

Growth LEVEL
26.7 STATE rate of PATTERN
population isOFa POPULATION
function of fertility,
GROWTHmortality and
migration. The difference between the fertility and mortality rates is
The actual growth increase
called natural rate of ofpopulation
[Link] not uniform in all parts of the
country. The rate is higher in some parts than in others. The average
 The
decadel population
growth in theofcountry
India has
wasbeen increasing
21.39% during steadily sinceIf1921.
1991-2001. Theat
we look
major factor responsible for it has been a very rapid decline
inter-state differences, then it has been observed that Kerala has the lowestin the
growth rate i.e. 9.42%, whereas the state of Nagaland has the highest
growth rate of 64.41%. The broad state level pattern which emerges reflect
that there is a clear cut north-south divide. All the northern and north eastern
states have recorded high growth rates whereas all the southern states have
low growth rates. This is mainly due to differences in the level of socio-
economic development which include high literacy rates, better primary
health care facilities, more urban population, more development economy etc.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 26.2

1. Tick () Mark the most appropriate answers
(a) The major reason for the high growth rate of population in India is
(i) rapidly rising birth rate
Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
MODULE - 9
(ii) rapidly falling death rate Human resource
development in India
(iii) high in-migration from outside
(iv) very high birth rate and death rate
(b) the growth rate of population in India has been constantly rising
right since
(i) 1901
(ii) 1921 Notes
(iii) 1951
(iv) 1981
2. Name the State where the growth rate of population is the highest.

3. Name the states where the growth rate of population is the lowest.

Fig. 26.3 INDIA : Growth of Population 1991-2001

GEOGRAP 251
MODULE - 9 Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
Human resource development in India
26.8 MIGRATION
We have discussed earlier that the growth of population depends upon the
birth rate, death rate and migration. Movement of people from one area to
the another area is called migration. Migration can be of a number of types.
According to the nature of movement, this can be divided into (i) permanent
and (ii) temporary. Permanent migration involves movement of people from
Notes one place to the other and these people do not go back to their originalplace.
Acommon example of this type of migration is provided by the movement of
the people from rural to urban areas for permanent settlement. In case of
temporary migration, the people move from one place to the other for some
duration and then return to their original place of living. An example of this
movement is seasonal migration. Migration of agricultural labourers from
Bihar to Punjab and Haryana during the harvesting season is a temporary
migration. Migration can be on daily basis also. You might have observed
that a large number of people commute to the cities every day in the
morning from the surrounding areas to work and theyall go back in the
evening. This is called daily or diurnal migration.
It is seen in mountainous regions that many people move from valleys to the
higher reaches of mountains along with their cattle during summer and come
back to the valleys during the winter. These people have their permanent
homes in the valleys and they move to the higher areas to graze their cattle
there. When the higher reaches of the mountains become too cold, they
come back to the lower valleys. Their annualmovement is always along some
fixed routes and generallytheir grazing areas are also fixed. This type of
altitudinal migration is called trans-humance. Gaddi tribes of Himachal
Pradesh and Bakrawals in Jammu & Kashmir practises this type of
migration.
On the basis of source of origin and destination of migrant population,
migration can be divided into four types.
(a) Rural to Rural
(b) Rural to Urban
(c) Urban to Urban
(d) Urban to Rural

 Movement of people from one area to the other is called migration.

26.9 MIGRATION TRENDS IN INDIA
 Migration can be called permanet, temporary and daily.
Out of 1.02 billion people in the country, 307 million (30%) were reported
as migrants
Seasonal
by movement of people
place of birth. along
Migrants with their
byplace cattleare
of birth between two are
those who
areas along
enumerated fixed routes at
at a village/town is called trans-humance.
the time of census other than their place of
birth. This proportion

25 GEOGRAP
Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
MODULE - 9
Human resource development in
i.e. 30% as reported in 2001 census (excluding Jammu and Kashmir) is
slightly more than what was reported in 1991 i.e. 27.4%. Infact, there has
been steady increase in number of migrants over successive censuses. If we
compare between 1961 and 2001 then it has been observed that it has
increased between 1961 and 2001 from 144 millions to 307 millions. During
the last ten years (1991-2001), the number of migrants (excluding J&K)
rose by 32.9%. Further break of the migrants in terms of sex and on the
basis of source and destination are given below. Notes

Table 26.3 India : Total Migrants and their Break-up 2001

Types of Migrants No. of Population (in millions)
Total Migrants 307.1
Males 90.4
Females 216.7
 Intra-district 181.7
 Inter-district 76.8
 Inter-state 42.3
 From Abroad 6.1
If we look at their movement patterns, it has been observed that
Maharashtra received largest number of migrants (7.9 million) followed by
Delhi (5.6 million) and West Bengal (5.5 million). On the other hand Uttar
Pradesh followed by Bihar and Rajasthan are the three top contributors of
out migrants. But if we look at the net migration i.e. the differences between
in-migrants and out-migrants Maharashtra stands at the top of the list with 2.3
million net migration followed by Delhi (1.7 million), Gujarat (0.68 million)
and Haryana (0.67 million).
Let us know their profile in details. We have discussed below the age profile
of the migrants and duration of stay of the migrants. In census, the first one
is termed as migrants by place of birth by age and migrants by place of last
residence.
(i) Migrants by age: We will see age profile of inter-state migrants and
intra- state migrants. Out of the total migrants numbering about 258
millions who migrated within the state, 17.4% are in the age group of
15-24 years, 23.2% in 25-34 years and 35.6% in 35-59 years. In the
case of inter-state migrants, out of which 42 millions (18.5%) is in the
age group of 15-24 years, 24.7% is in the age group of 25-34 years and
36.1% is in 35-59 years. In both the groups i.e. inter-state and intra-
state migration we find high proportion of migrants are in the older and
economically active age group. The details of inter and intra-state
migration will be discussed in the successive paragraphs.
(ii) Migrants by Place of Last Residence : This data is collected to

GEOGRAP 253
understand the population of migration. It is likely that after one moves
out of place of birth, one may continue to migrate from one place to
another. Study

25 GEOGRAP
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Human resource development in India
of migration byplace ofbirth is like studying one time event. Data on
migration by last residence reveals recent migrations over the years and
therefore more informative. The data on migration by last residence in
India as per 2001 census shows that the total number of migrants were
314 millions.
If we look at their duration of stay it has been observed that a substantial
Notes proportion among the total migrants i.e. 101 million out of 314 million had
migrated at least 20 years back. About 98.3 million had migrated over the last
decade (i.e. duration 0- 9 years). We will analyse in details about the
migration that took place in the last decade in two broad categories. (a) Intra-
state and (b) Inter state migration within these two broad categories analysis
will be made in terms of migration by streams and by sex.
(a) Intra-State Migration
The majority of the migrants belong to this category. According to 2001 Census,
80.73 millions of people are intra-state migrants. Among these migrants,
overwhelming population i.e. 60.5 percent were rural to rural migrants
whereas only 12.3 percent belonged to the category of urban to urban
migrants. The remaining 17.6 percent migrants belonged to the category of
rural to urban and 6.5% belonged to the urban to rural areas. The rest 3.1
percent is unclassified which means that the respondents have not mentioned
any stream.
Among intra-state migrants about 70 percent were females. This high
percentage was mainly due to marriages. About 69% of the female migrants
were from rural to rural migration. 9.7 percent of female migrants moved
from one urban centre to another, 13.6 percent moved from rural to urban
areas and only 5.6 percent from urban to rural areas. The rest 2.6 percent is
unclassified.
In the case of male migrants, 41.6 percent belonged to the category of rural
to rural migrants, 18.3 percent belonged to urban to urban, 27.1 percent
belonged to ruralto urban and 8.6 percent were urban to rural. The major
chunk of population who moved fromrural to rural areas are mainly moved
out in search ofemployment.
(b) Inter-State Migration
In India inter-state migration is limited in comparison to intra-state
migration. According to 2001 Census, 17 million people were inter-state
migrants. Out of these 17 millions people, 26.6 percent belonged to the
category of rural to rural migrants, 26.7 belonged to the category of urban to
urban, 37.9 belonged to rural to urban and 6.3 percent belonged to urban to
rural. The rest 2.6% is unclassified.
About half of all inter-state migrants were males. Among them 26.6%
GEOGRAP 255
percent moved within the rural areas, 26.7 percent moved within the urban
areas. 37.9 percent of migrants moved from rural to urban areas and 6.3
percent from urban to rural areas.

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MODULE - 9
Human resource development in
26.10 CAUSES OF MIGRATION
Migration is a result of an inter-playof a large number of factors. Generally
factors affecting migration can be grouped in to two categories of Push and
Pull factors. The push factors are responsible for making people move
fromtheir original place of living. The pull factors are responsible for
attracting people to some particular areas. Unless both these factors are
operating simultaneously, no migration of people can be possible. The push Notes
and pull factors include the economic, social and political components. A
brief description of these factors is given below.

(a)Economic
MigrationFactor
is the result of inter-play of a number of factors. These
factors can
The people generallylike to live in those areas where they can make their
be grouped as push and pull factors.
livelihood. Thus they would like to move away from areas of poor soils, less
developed means of transport, low levels of industrialization and less job
opportunities. These are the push factors. On the other hand, the areas
offering good employment, better living standard attract large number of
people. These are the pull factors. Thus all areas of fertile soil, deposits of
minerals, better means of transportation and communication and higher levels
ofdevelopment of industries and urban areas provide more means of making a
living. You might have observed that a large number of people move to the
cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai from neighbouring and
different parts of the country like Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh where
opportunities are less. The most important factor for which they move is the
expected improvement in their economic conditions. Manyare attracted by an
apparent glare of city life with all its modern comforts and attractions.
The important economic pull factors causing migration are fertile soils, availability of minerals, good means o
The important economic push factors are poor soils, lack of developed means of transport and communication,

(b) Socio-Political Factor

Man is a social being and he likes to live with his kith and kin. Generally the
people having a common religion or language or social customs like to live
together. On the other hand a person would like to migrate to some other
place if he is living among the people belonging to some other culture or
customs. Many people migrate to places of religious importance. Migration of
people to places like Badrinath, Tirupati and Varanasi though generally
temporary is due to religious factors. The impact of the social factors is
more clearly seen in the concentration of people belonging to a particular
community in one locality of urban area or in a particular

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Human resource development in India
city. Religious or social suppression of the minoritycommunities canbe an
important push factor if the majority community is not tolerant to the other
community.
(c) Demographic factor
Age is the important demographic factor. Young population is more mobile
Notes than the children and old age population. This is because young people
mostly move either for work/better opportunities or further study.
Political factors related to the government policy are responsible for
migration. This factor is becoming increasingly important in the modern
times. Government can influence the incidence rates and directions of the
migrations to a great extent. In some cases the minority communities are
discriminated against and they are thus forced out of the countries. Partition
of India into India and Pakistan at the time of independence resulted in large
scale migration of people between the two countries.

 People like to live with those following the same religion or customs.
Consequences of migration are as diverse as the causes. The consequences
are felt
Suppression
in both theofregions
the minorities
i.e. theatareas
the hands of majority
of origin community
of the migrants canthe
and
areas beof an important push
destination. The factor leading toofmigration.
consequences migration can be grouped as
26.11 CONSEQUENCES OF MIGRAITON
economic, social and demographic.
(a) Economic Consequences
Among the economic consequences, the effects on the resource-population
ratio is most significant. This ratio undergoes change in both the areas
involved. The resource-population ratio may be such in an area which
might be called either under populated or over populated or adequately
populated or optimum populated. The condition of under population means a
condition of too low a population to allow development and utilization of
its resources. On the other hand, over population is a condition, when the
pressure of population on resources is very high and generally results in low
standards of living. A country having enough number of people to enable
development and utilization of its resources without lowering the quality of
life is called adequately populated. If the people are moving from an area of
over-population to an area of under population, the result is in the direction
of balancing the resource-population ratio. On the other hand if the
migration is from an area of under population to over populated or
adequately populated, the consequences may be harmful to both the areas.
Migration affects the occupational structure of the population in both the
regions. Generally the proportion of working population in source areas is
lowered and the

25 GEOGRAP
Population Density, Distribuion and Growth in India
MODULE - 9
Human resource development in
same proportion in the receiving areas is increased. Thus the population of
the receiving areas tends to become more productive and in the source areas
it results in increasing the dependencyratio byreducing the proportion of the
working people in the population. One of the serious consequences of
migration is ‘brain drain’. This refers to the migration of the skilled persons
from the poorer countries to the developed countries in search of better
economic opportunities. An example can be of the migration of the doctors
and engineers etc. from India to the USA, the UK and Canada. This type of Notes
migration does not alter the resource-population ratio significantly as the
number of people involved in migration is not very large. However the
quality of human resources in the source region suffers a lot. The resource
of the source regions, which are generally poorer countries can not be
developed fully because of the huge size of the population.
(b) Social Consequences
Migration involves interactionof different cultures. The receiving areas might
receive through migration people belonging to different cultures and this
might lead to cultural enrichment. India is a countrywhich received migrants
belonging to different cultural groups and the modern culture of India is a
result of this inter-mixing of different cultures, Sometimes people, coming
together having different cultures might result in cultural conflicts also.
Many migrants (mainly male member) those who stay alone in the city
involve in extramarital and unsafe sexual practice. Some of them start taking
drugs through infected syringes. Due to these unsafe practices, many of them
got HIV infected. But this does not stop here. When these people go back to
their home, they infect their spouses. HIV is also transmitted to their unborn
child. Why does this happen?
 Due to lack of awareness
 Due to unsafe practices
 Curiosity about sex
 Experimentation with drugs and alchohol
(c)Demographic Consequences
Migration may generally result in cultural enrichment in the receiving
Due to migrations, the times
areas although at it may also
characteristics of lead to cultural conflicts.
the populations in both the regions
undergo
 Thechanges not only theratio
resource-population age inand
bothsexsource
structure of and
regions the receiving
population but
also the rate of
regions growth through
is altered of population is altered. Generally the proportion of
migration.
the old, children and females is increased
Brain-drain is also a serious consequence of in migrations.
the source areas due to
migration. On the other hand the proportion of these persons in the
population of the receiving areas is generally

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Human resource development in India
lowered. So this is one of the reason for high sex ratio in source areas and
low sex ratio in the receiving areas. This happens because it is the youthful
male population which is mostlyinvolved in migration. Thus not only the
number ofpeople but also the structure of population in both regions involved
in migration is changed. This results in changes in rates of fertility, mortality
and consequently in the growth of population. The source regions are
Notes depleted of the youthful population and this results in lowered rates of
births and comparatively lower rates of growth. An inverse impact is
observed in the case of population structure of the receiving areas.
The proportion of the children, women and old people become more in the source areas of

INTEXT QUESTIONS 26.3

1. Fill in the blanks with suitable words choosing the appropriate words
given in the bracket.
(a) Movement of people from one place to the other is called
(migration/transhumance)
(b) Daily movement of people to cities from neighbouring areas is called
migration. (diurnal/seasonal)
(c) Seasonal movement of people with their cattle along some fixed
routes is called . (trans human/seasonal)
(d) Due to migration the proportion of the youth in the total
population of the source region is likely to
(increase/decline)
(e) The proportion of working population in the areas of immigration is
likely to (increase/decrease)
(f) Migration of the skilled people from the developing countries like
India to the developed countries is known as
( emigration/
brain drain)
(g) Who among the migrants dominate
(male/female)

WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT

Human resource is the most important resource in an area. It is the quality rather
than quantity of this resource which is important for the economic development
of
a country.
25 GEOGRAPHY
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Human resource development in
India is the second most populous countryof the world after China. The
distribution of population is generally studied in terms of density. The density
of population in India is not uniform. On the basis of density of population,
India can be divided into three broad regions of high density, the areas of
moderate density, and the areas of low density. The factors which affect
density and distribution can be grouped into two categories. They are
physical factors and socio-economic factors.
Notes
The population of India has been increasing very rapidly since 1921 and the
rate of growth has been increasing. The growth rate of population is
determined by the birth rate, death rate and migration of an area. Like
density and distribution, the growth rate is also not uniformthroughout the
country.
Migration is an important factor for the growth rate of population. Migration
can be divided into various types. It can be divided as permanent and
temporary. On the basis ofsource of origin and destination of migrant
population, it can be divided into rural to rural, rural to urban, urban to urban
and urban to rural. These four types can be grouped under two categories
i.e. inter-state migration and intra- state migration.
People move from one place to other under the influence of economic,
socio- political and demographic factors. The causes of migration can be
studied in terms of push and pull factors. The consequences of migrations are
numerous and they can be studied in terms of economic, social and
demographic consequences. The migrants involve themselves in extra marital
relation and drug abuse due to their loneless since they have left their family
at their source.

TERMINAL QUESTIONS
1. Discuss in brief the distribution of population in India. Outline some of
the areas of high, moderate and low density of population.
2. What are the major trends in population growth in India? Discuss the
factors responsible for it with suitable examples.
3. What is meant by migration? Define various types of migration with
suitable examples.
4. Explain the major causes and consequences of migration.

ANSWERS TO INTEXT QUESTIONS

26.1
1. West Bengal, Kerala, Bihar, U.P. Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Haryana
(Any three)
GEOGRAP 259
2. Delhi, Chandigarh, Pondicherry, Lakshadweep and Daman & Diu (Any three)
3. Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh
4. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
5. (a) High
(b) Low
26.2
1. (a) (ii)
(b) (ii)
2. Nagaland
3. Kerala
26.3
1. (a) Migration
(b) Diurnal
(c) Trans-humance
(d) Decline
(e) Increase
(f) Brain-drain
(g) Male
HINTS TO TERMINAL QUESTIONS
1. The distribution of population in the country is highly uneven. India can
be divided into three major regions on the basis of the density of
population the areas of high density, the areas of moderate density and
the areas of low density. Give the main characteristics of these regions
in terms of the density of population. Name the area of high, moderate
and low density (For details refer to sections 26.2 and 26.4).
2. The growthrate of Indian population has been increasing since 1921.
Highlight this fact and provide the causes of this in brief (For details
refer section 26.6).
3. Migration is the movement of people from one place to the other. It can
be temporary, seasonal and permanent on the basis of the duration of
movement and the period of time for which people migrate. Migration
can be called internal and international also on the basis of whether it
occurs within the country or between two or more countries (For details
refer to section 26.8).

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Human resource
development in India
4. Discuss briefly causes and consequences of migration (For details refer
to section 26.10 and 26.11).

Point to Ponder
Protection from HIV infection
HIV is : AIDS is :
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
There is a lot you can do to protect yourself from HIV infection:
 Learn the facts about growing up and HIV/AIDS.
 Do not feel shy about taking about your doubts and fears.
Get these clarified.
 Do not let peer pressure force you into unsafe activities.
 Avoid taking alcohol or other drugs when you engage in
sexual activities; this might cloud your judgement and lead
you to engage in unsafe sexual practices.
 Practise abstinence. Postpone sex as long as possible. Many
other activities such as hugging, cuddling, kissing, and
fantasizing feel good and are safe.
 If you are not ready for abstinence, at least make sure that
you practise safe sex. Have sexual intercourse with only one
faithful, uninfected partner.
 Use a condom every time you have sex unless you are 100
percent sure that you partner is not infected with HIV or any
other Sexually Transmitted Infection (STIs).
 If you use needles, syringes, or other instruments that pierce
the skin, make sure that these are sterile.
 Make sure that blood is tested before transfusion. Use blood
that is certified ‘HIV free’.

GEOGRAP 261