CH.6.

POPULATION NOTES

Very short answers

1. What do you mean by density of population?

The average number of persons per unit area, such as a square kilometer.

2. Name five states of India where almost half of India’s population lives.
A. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh

3. Discuss the major components of population growth.

A. There are three main components of population growth are birth rates, death
rates, and migration.

4.What do you mean by density of population?

A. The average number of persons per unit area, such as a square kilometer.

5. Which migration does not change the size of the population?

A. Internal migration

Short answers

1.Describe the size and distribution of population of India.

A. India’s population as on March 2011 stood at 1,210.6 million, which accounts
for 17.5 per cent of the world’s population. These 1.21 billion people are unevenly
distributed over our country’s vast area of 3.28 million square km, which accounts
for 2.4 per cent of the world’s area.

2.Why is the rate of population growth in India declining since 1981?

Since 1981, however, the rate of growth started declining gradually. During this
period, birth rates declined rapidly. Still 182 million people were added to the total
population in the 1990s alone.

3. Define age structure, death rate, and birth rate.

A. 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.
The death rate is the number of deaths per thousand persons in a year.
The age composition of a population refers to the number of people in different age
groups in a country.

4. How is migration a determinant factor of population change?

A. Migration is the movement of people across regions and territories. Migration
can be internal (within the country) or international (between the countries).
Internal migration does not change the size of the population but influences the
distribution of population within the nation. Migration plays a very significant role
in changing the composition and distribution of a population.

5.What are the push and pull factors of internal migration in India?
A. In India, most migrations have been from rural to urban areas because of the
‘push’ factor in rural areas. These are adverse conditions of poverty and
unemployment in the rural areas and the ‘pull’ of the city in terms of increased
employment opportunities and better living conditions

6.What are the significant features of the National Population Policy 2000?
The significant features of the National Population Policy 2000 are:
1. NPP 2000 identified adolescents as one of the major sections of the population
that need greater attention.
2. Besides nutritional requirements, the policy puts greater emphasis on other
important needs of adolescents including protection

3. It called for programmers that aim towards encouraging delayed marriage

providing food supplements, nutritional services, strengthening legal measures to
prevent child marriage.

4.Free and compulsory education up to the age of 14years.

Long answers
1.Discuss the major components of population growth.
Ans: The major components that we come across in population growth are Birth rate,
Death rate, and also migration.
• Defining the birth rate- It can be defined as the number of live births per
thousand people in a year.
• As the birth rates are higher in India as compared to the death rate so it is one
of the most important factors.
• Defining the death rate-It can be defined as the number of live deaths per
thousand people in a year.
• Defining migration- It can be defined as the people’s movement across
regions and territories.
• Migration can be of two types such as internal or external migration
• Internal migration does not affect the country but the area they will migrate to
is affected as a group of individuals migrate within the country.
• Migration plays an important role as it defines the composition of the
population in a country.
2. Distinguish between population growth and population change.
Ans: The difference between population growth and populations are:

Population Growth Population Change

Population growth is the change or Population change is the
increase in the number of inhabitants of the change that refers to several
territory in a specific period such as the last people during a specific time
ten years, or the last fifteen years. period.
Express in terms of number or percentage Express in numbers of
in a year. individual
It does not alter the composition of the
It can alter the composition
population
It can be defined with the
It can be defined with the help of the help of the difference
difference between birth and death rate. between the size of the
beginning to the end.
3.Describe the basic factors affecting the population of India.
The basic factors affecting the population of India are as under :

• Birth Rate: It is the number of live births per 1,000 individuals of a

population per annum. It increases both population size and population
density.
• Death or Mortality Rate: It is expressed as the number of death per
1,000 individuals of a population per year. It decreases both population
size and population density.
• Migration: Migration is the movement of the people across regions and
territories. Migration can be internal or international.

4.What is meant by population growth and how do you calculate it?

Growth of population refers to the change in the number of inhabitants of a
country/territory during a specific period or time as an instance, during the last 10
years. Such a change can be expressed in two ways: in terms of absolute numbers
and in terms of percentage change per year.

• It is obtained by simply subtracting the earlier population from the later

population. It is referred to as absolute increase.

5.What are the factors that influence the population distribution in India?

Factors that influence the population distribution are:

• Type of Climate: Areas having moderate climate have more population

than the areas having extreme climatic conditions. Leh and Ladakh in
Jammu and Kashmir and western Rajasthan have extreme type of
climate. Therefore, these regions have less or sparse population.
• Type of Soil: India’s northern plains and coastal plains are made up of
alluvial soil which is very fertile. So, these areas are densely populated.
On the other hand, hilly areas and deserts are thinly populated.
• Opportunity for Jobs: The areas which have more opportunities of jobs
are thickly populated, whereas areas which do not provide people with
job opportunities are sparsely populated. Urban areas are thickly
populated because of this factor.
• Religious and Historical Places like Allahabad, Varanasi,
Rameshwaram, Agra etc. are also thickly populated. (any three points)
6.Write a short note on adolescent population.
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. Nutrition requirements of adolescents are higher than those
of a normal child or adult. Poor nutrition can lead to deficiency and stunted
growth. But in India, the diet available to adolescents is inadequate in all nutrients.
A large number of adolescent girls suffer from anemia. Their problems have so far
not received adequate attention in the process of development. The adolescent girls
have to be sensitized to the problems they confront. Their awareness can be
improved through the spread of literacy and education among them.
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