Population

• Since 1981, the rate of population growth in India has been declining gradually, with birth rates declining rapidly during this period
• The three main components of population growth are birth rates, death rates, and migration
• Birth rate is the number of live births per thousand persons in a year, while death rate is the number of live deaths per thousand persons in a year
• Migration is the movement of people across regions and territories, which can be internal (within the country) or international (between countries)
• Population growth refers to the change in the number of inhabitants of a country/territory during a specific period of time, while population change refers to changes in the population in terms of age and sex composition and distribution
• The occupational structure of a population is important for development, with developed nations having a high proportion of people in secondary and tertiary activities, while developing countries tend to have a higher proportion engaged in primary activities
• Health is an important component of population composition, affecting the process of development, with advantages of having a healthy population including providing welfare, boosting the development process, and contributing to resource development
• The National Population Policy 2000 includes features like introducing Family Planning and Welfare Programmes, providing free and compulsory school education up to age 14, promoting delayed marriage, preventing diseases, and reducing infant mortality rate
• The age composition of a population is considered one of the most basic characteristics as it influences needs, buying capacity, and performance, and determines the social and economic structure of society
• In India, the population is unevenly distributed, with some states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal having very dense populations, while states like Sikkim, Lakshadweep, and Arunachal Pradesh have very sparse populations
• The size of a population can be measured by its density (number per unit area)
• Demography is the scientific study of population change, structure and distribution.
• Population is the total number of individuals living within an area