TSPSC Group – I Mains,2024 Group-I Mains General Essay on ‘Population’ and Paper-III: Indian Society, Constitution & Governance What is Population Explosion?

 

 

                                                 TSPSC Group – I Mains,2024

Group-I Mains

General Essay on ‘Population’

and

Paper-III: Indian Society, Constitution & Governance

 

For  Examination guidance purpose only

 

Model Question on Population Explosion (prepared on 16.9.2024)

 

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Syllabus : Paper – III :

3. Social Issues: Poverty; Unemployment, Child Labour, Violence against Women; Regionalism; Communalism and Secularism; Corruption; Caste Conflicts, Problems of Agricultural Labour; Urbanization; Development and Displacement; Environmental Degradation; Sustainable Development; Population Explosion; Agrarian Distress; Migration

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Note: Population is also a topic in Paper II : Indian Geography and Telangana Geography

Syllabus : -

2. Agriculture and Irrigation – Major Food and Non-Food crops, Agro Climatic Regions, Green Revolution, recent trends in Agriculture; Major Irrigation Projects and Command Area Development; Industries- Major Industries - Iron and Steel, Cotton Textiles, Cement, Sugar, Automobile, IT, & Food Processing Industries, Localisation Factors, Industrial Corridors & Economic Development; Transportation: Means of Transportation, Role of Road and Rail Network in Economic Development, Highways and Express Highways; Major Ports – changing trends and direction of India’s Trade - role of WTO; Strategic location of India in the Indian Ocean; Population – distribution, growth, Demographic characteristics, Demographic dividend and transition, HDI, Population problems and Policies. Urbanisation process- Spatial pattern, growth of Megacities, problems of Urban Growth and Policies, concept of Smart Cities

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Questions:

1)Explain the basic argument of the theory of demographic transition. Why is the transition period associated with a ‘population explosion’?

 

Ans: According to the ‘theory of demographic transition’ , every country passes through three stages in which birth and death rates are typically associated with economic development (I stage, II stage , III stage ). 

Second stage is termed as ‘population explosion’ and this is the most hazardous period for a developing economy like India. India has faced this second stage , during the period 1951 – 1991. In this second stage, there will be high birth rate and rapidly falling death rate leading to contribute to high growth rate of population.   

Theory of demographic  transition or population stages or of population cycles has many version. It has been propounded by W.S.Thomson (American)(way back in 1929) and F.W.Noesein. They explain he theory in three stages.  

 

Note: Thomas Robert Malthus (British)was the first to state systematic principle of population in his famous book , “Essay on the Principle of Population (1798)”. His Malthusian theory explains the relationship between the growth in food supply and in population. It states that population increases in geometrical progression , and if unchecked, doubles in every 25 years. On the other hand, the food supply increases in a slow arithmetical progression due to the operation of law of diminishing returns.

 

 

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Question: What is ‘demographic advantage or  dividend’?

Ans:The demographic  advantage or ‘dividend’  to be derived from the age structure of the population is due to the fact that India is (and will remain for some time)  one of the youngest countries in the world.

IN 2020 the average Indian was only 29 years old, compared with an average age of 37 in China or the USA , 45 in Western Europe and 48 in Japan. This implies a large and growing labour force, which can deliver unexpected benefits in terms of growth and prosperity.

 The ‘demographic dividend’  results from an increase in the proportion of workers relative to non-workers in the population . In terms of age, the working population is roughly that between 15 and 64 years of age. This working group must support itself as well as those outside this age group ( i.e., children and elderly people) who are unable to work and are therefore dependents. 

 

 

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General Essay on

POPULATION GROWTH IN INDIA

 

Population composition is a distinct field of study within population geography with a vast coverage of analysis of age and sex, place of residence, ethnic characteristics, tribes, language, religion, marital status, literacy and education, occupational characteristics, etc. In this topic, normally, the composition of Indian population with respect to their rural-urban characteristics, language, religion and pattern of occupation will be discussed

 

 

An important aspect of population growth in India is the growth of its adolescents. At present the share of adolescents i.e., up to the age group of 10-19 years is about 20.9 per cent (2011), among which male adolescents constitute 52.7 per cent and female adolescents constitute 47.3 per cent. The adolescent population, though, regarded as the youthful population having high potentials, but at the same time they are quite vulnerable if not guided and channelised properly. There are many challenges for the society as far as these adolescents are concerned, some of which are lower age at marriage, illiteracy – particularly female illiteracy, school dropouts, low intake of nutrients, high rate of maternal mortality of adolescent mothers, high rates of HIV/AIDS infections, physical and mental disability or retardedness, drug abuse and alcoholism, juvenile delinquency and commitence of crimes, etc.

 

 

Growth of population is the change in the number of people living in a particular area between two points of time. Its rate is expressed in percentage. Population growth has two components namely; natural and induced. While the natural growth is analysed by assessing the crude birth and death rates, the induced components are explained by the volume of inward and outward movement of people in any given area. However, in the present chapter, we will only discuss the natural growth of India’s population. The decadal and annual growth rates of population in India are both very high and steadily increasing over time. The annual growth rate of India’s population is 1.64 per cent (2011)

 

The growth rate of population in India over the last one century has been caused by annual birth rate and death rate and rate of migration and thereby shows different trends. There are four distinct phases of growth identified within this period:

 

 

Phase I : The period from 1901-1921 (or) (1891 to 1921 as per some books) is referred to as a period of stagnant or stationary phase of growth of India’s population, since in this period growth rate was very low, even recording a negative growth rate during 1911-1921. Both the birth rate and death rate were high keeping the rate of increase low. Poor health and medical services, illiteracy of people at large and inefficient distribution system of food and other basic necessities were largely responsible for a high birth and death rates in this period.

 

 

Phase II : The decades 1921-1951 are referred to as the period of steady population growth. An overall improvement in health and sanitation throughout the country brought down the mortality rate. At the same time better transport and communication system improved distribution system. The crude birth rate remained high in this period leading to higher growth rate than the previous phase. This is impressive at the backdrop of Great Economic Depression, 1920s and World War II

 

 

Phase III : Population Explosion : The decades 1951-1981 are referred to as the period of population explosion in India, which was caused by a rapid fall in the mortality rate but a high fertility rate of population in the country. The average annual growth rate was as high as 2.2 per cent. It is in this period, after the Independence, that developmental activities were introduced through a centralised planning process and economy started showing up ensuring the improvement of living condition of people at large. Consequently, there was a high natural increase and higher growth rate. Besides, increased international migration bringing in Tibetans, Bangladeshis, Nepalies and even people from Pakistan contributed to the high growth rate

 

 

Phase IV : In the post 1981 till present, the growth rate of country’s population though remained high, has started slowing down gradually . A downward trend of crude birth rate is held responsible for such a population growth. This was, in turn, affected by an increase in the mean age at marriage, improved quality of life particularly education of females in the country

 

 

India possesses 2.5$ of the total land area of the world, whereas its population is nearly 17.5% of the world population. India is the second largest country in terms of population after China.

 

According to 1901 Census, India’s population was 236 million and according to 2011 census, the population of India was 1210 million.

 

 

 

 

The growth rate of population is, however, still high in the country, and it has been projected by World Development Report that population of India will touch 1,350 million by 2025.

 

 

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POPULATION CENSUS IN INDIA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Among the best uses of a census anywhere in the world was perhaps what happened in the United States when, in 1850 and 1860, anti-slavery campaigners used numbers from two consecutive national censuses to build support for the abolition of slavery. They showed the number of enslaved people in the U.S. to be rising — contrary to arguments made by pro-slavery politicians. There have been numerous instances of such revelations using the census

 

India’s first Census was held in 1872, conducted non-synchronously in different parts of the country.

 

After that, India has held its decadal censuses regularly from 1881 to 2011, despite diseases, world wars, Partition and other instances of turmoil

 

 

India’s first proper or synchronous Census, one which begins on the same day or year across regions of the country, was carried out in 1881 by the colonial administration and has since happened every 10 years, except the one that was supposed to be carried out in 2021.

 

The Census is still conducted under the Census Act of 1948, which predates the Constitution. Notably, the Act does not bind the government to conduct the Census on a particular date or to release its data in a notified period. The Centre’s intent to conduct the 2021 Census was notified in the Gazette of India on March 28, 2019. The freeze on administrative boundaries was to be effective from January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The decennial census is carried out by lakhs of enumerators empanelled and trained by the government in two phases. The first phase is the housing Census, where data on housing conditions, household amenities and assets possessed by households are collected and the second phase is where data on population, education, religion, economic activity, Scheduled Castes and Tribes etc., are collected.

A census is when the state connects to every individual and it will find it hard to hide or duck from the data. Finding out age, gender, economic status, religion and languages spoken yields information of another order, making it a treasure trove of findings and providing pathways for planning and resolving problems, and fixing deficiencies.

 

 

 

The Census data is crucial for various administrative functions, welfare schemes, and other surveys

 

 

Three components, namely (i) fertility,(ii) mortality, and (iii)migration, play a pivotal role in shaping India’s demographic landscape.

 

Fertility :-

India has made significant strides in reducing its fertility. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, India’s total fertility rate (TFR) decreased from 3.4 to 2 between 1992 and 2021, dropping below the replacement level of 2.1. There has been a significant drop in the mortality rate as well. The average life expectancy of Indians has also increased over time. With this, India is experiencing a demographic shift, towards an ageing population. According to the 2011 Census, individuals aged 60 years and above constituted 8.6% of the total population. The figure is projected to rise up to 19.5% by 2050.

 

With the Green Revolution, India became self-sufficient in crop production and averted a catastrophe. The proportion of the population suffering from hunger reduced from 18.3% in 2001 to 16.6% in 2021.

However, India’s nutrition picture is not completely rosy. India contributes a third of the global burden of malnutrition. Though the Indian government launched the Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for. Holistic Nourishment (POSHAN) Abhiyaan in 2018, it will still require a miracle to fulfil the target of ‘Zero Hunger’ by 2030.

Health is one sector in India where progress made has been remarkable. All the critical mortality indicators have seen steady declines.

i)The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) decreased from 384.4 in 2000 to 102.7 in 2020. The mortality rate for children under five reduced significantly post 2000s.

ii)The infant mortality rate also reduced from 66.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 25.5 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021. Although India is still not near reaching the targets, it seems to be on the right track. These achievements show that there has been a significant improvement in the quality and coverage of health care.

 

 

 

 

 

India’s population dynamics is intertwined with its ‘development’ scenario. The reduction in fertility signifies a transition toward smaller family norms. This can reduce the proportion of the dependent population and result in a demographic dividend — a period where the working-age population is larger than the dependent population.

India can harness the potential of its young workforce by creating employment. The decline in mortality and increase in life expectancy are reflections of a robust health-care system and increased living standards. The issue of population ageing, however, requires a long-term plan — focusing on geriatric care and providing social security benefits.

Migration and urbanisation are also critical issues. Rapid rural to urban migration is posing a threat to the existing urban infrastructure. Among all these, gender equality also finds an important place.

Women labour force participation, which is straggling, their notable absence from political representation and their unending plight within society are the silent issues which can sabotage India’s path to 2030.

 

 

Some issues in discussion : -

 

1) The Census has often been key to the formation and affirmation of identities over time. But there is now official squeamishness about recording identities that want to be counted and identified.

 

2)India had its last caste census in 1931.

 

3)   In 2011, after the last general census, a socio-economic and caste census was conducted. But while other data were finalised and published, it conveniently excluded the caste data citing several reasons. It is clear that the disparity between caste groups and the privileges they enjoy versus their numbers in the population may be so stark

 

 

 

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POPULATION OF TELANGANA (2011 CENSUS )

 

Sl.No.	District	Total Population
1	Mahbubnagar	40,53,028
2	Ranga Reddy	52,96,741
3	Hydeabad	39,43,323
4	Medak	30,33,288
5	Nizamabad	25,51,335
6	Adilabad	27,41,239
7	Karimnagar	37,76,269
8	Warangal	35,12,576
9	Khammam	27,97,370
10	Nalgonda	34,88,809
	Total	3,51,93,978

  

 

The total population of Telangana State more than doubled from 1.1 Crore in 1951 to 2.6 Crores by 1981 and climbing to 3.52 Crores by 2011.