DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE OF THE INDIAN SOCIETY

Question 1

What is the population structure?

Answer 1

The population structure refers to the composition of a population. It includes factors like the age and sex distribution of the population, and these factors can help to reveal a lot about the population’s past and predict its future. For instance, a population with a high number of young people may experience rapid growth in the future, while a population with a high number of elderly people may face challenges related to health care and social support. Population structure is often represented using population pyramids.

Question 2

What is population density ?

Answer 2

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area. It is commonly used to show population distribution and is calculated by dividing the total population of a region by the area of that region. High population density indicates that a region is heavily populated, while low population density indicates that a region is sparsely populated. This concept is important in sociology for understanding the social dynamics and resources distribution within a specific area.

Question 3

What is economical density?

Answer 3

Economic density refers to the number of people per unit of economic output, usually measured in terms of GDP per square kilometer. It is an indicator of economic productivity and efficiency of a region, and can be used to compare the economic performance of different regions. High economic density means that a region produces a high amount of economic output relative to its population and area, while low economic density indicates the opposite.

Question 4

What is meant by excessive population?

Answer 4

Excessive population refers to a situation where the number of people in a certain area exceeds the resources available in that area. It often leads to problems like overcrowding, strain on resources and services, and can negatively impact the quality of life and the environment.

Question 5

What is meant by life expectancy?

Answer 5

Life expectancy refers to the average number of years a person is expected to live, based on the current mortality rates in a particular region or country. It is a statistical measure that is used to understand the average lifespan of individuals in a society. Life expectancy can be influenced by various factors, including healthcare, diet, lifestyle, and socio-economic conditions.

Question 6

What is meant by the growth rate of the population

Answer 6

The growth rate of the population refers to the rate at which the number of individuals in a population increases in a certain time period due to birth, death, and migration. It is usually expressed as a percentage of the population. A positive growth rate indicates that the population is increasing, while a negative growth rate indicates that the population is decreasing.

Question 7

What is meant by a population explosion?

Answer 7

It happens when death rates are brought down relatively quickly through advanced methods of disease control, public health and better nutrition. It takes longer for society to adjust to change and alter its reproductive behavior to suit the new pattern of relative prosperity and longer life span.

Question 8

What is family planning?

Answer 8

Family planning involves managing the number and timing of children in a family, using contraception or sterilization. It allows for control over the number of children and their birth spacing and timing. This is achieved through contraception and treating infertility. Considerations may include a woman’s desired number of children, the timing, and factors like marital status, career, finances, and any disabilities.

Question 9

What is the biological theory of increasing-decreasing population ?

Answer 9

The demographic transition theory posits three stages of population change with modernization. Initially, high birth and death rates keep populations stable. Then, improved healthcare and sanitation lower death rates but birth rates remain high, causing population growth. Finally, societal changes like urbanization, women’s education and employment, and contraception availability reduce birth rates, stabilizing or decreasing population.

Question 10

Give two methods of population control given by Malthus?

Answer 10

• ‘Preventive checks’, which aim to lower the birth rate. This could be achieved through late marriage, celibacy, and moral restraint.
  ‘Positive checks’, which increase the death rate. These include diseases, wars, and famines. Malthus believed these checks were necessary to balance the population size with the available resources.

Question 11

What do you know about the population theory of Malthus?

Answer 11

Thomas Malthus’s theory of population growth outlined in his Essay on Population(1789) was a pessimistic one. According to him the growth of population outstrips the growth in production of subsistence so humanity is always condemned to live in poverty forever, and the only way of increasing prosperity is to control the growing population by preventative methods or positive checks

Question 12

What do you know about the transition theory of the population ?

Answer 12

The transition theory of population growth suggests that it is linked to overall levels of economic development and every society follows a typical pattern of development related population growth

1. Underdeveloped and technologically backward society: it has a low population growth
   
   • The birth rate and the death rate are very high so the diff between the two is less
   • eg; UP, Bihar, Rajasthan
2. Transitional stage: it has high population growth
   
   • death rates are brought down through technological advancements, better nutrition and healthcare facilities
   • but the birth rate remains high as it takes society time to adjust to new levels of prosperity and longer life span to change its reproductive behavior
   • eg; West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra
3. Developed society: it has a low population growth
   
   • both birth and death rates are brought down significantly so the difference between the two is small
   • eg; Kerela, Tamil Nadu , Goa

Question 13

How can birth rates be reduced ?

Answer 13

The birth rates can be reduced through several methods:

• Promoting family planning methods: This involves educating the public about various birth control techniques and providing access to contraception.
• Improving women’s education and employment opportunities: Studies have shown that women who have access to education and employment opportunities tend to have fewer children.
• Increasing the age at marriage: Delaying the age at which women get married can also help to reduce birth rates.
• Implementing government policies: Governments can introduce policies aimed at controlling population growth, such as providing incentives for smaller families.
• Improving healthcare: Providing better healthcare facilities and services can help to reduce infant mortality rates, which can in turn lead to lower birth rates as parents do not feel the need to have many children to ensure some survive.

Question 14

Give the main features of the National Population policy ?

Answer 14

• Give the main features of the National Population policy ?
  
  1. Addressing Unmet Needs: The immediate objective of the NPP is to address the unmet needs for contraception, healthcare infrastructure, and health personnel, and to provide integrated service delivery for basic reproductive and child healthcare .
  2. Reducing Fertility Rates: The medium-term objective of the NPP was to reduce the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to replacement levels by 2010, with the TFR targeted to be 2.1 children per woman.
  3. Achieving a Stable Population: The long-term objective is to achieve a stable population by 2045, at a level consistent with the requirements of sustainable economic growth, social development, and environmental protection.
  4. Education and Health: The policy emphasizes making school education free and compulsory up to the age of 14 years and reducing dropout rates for both boys and girls.It also aims to decrease the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to under 30 per 1000 live births and reduce the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) to under 100 per 1 lakh live births.

Question 15

Give the literal meaning of demography ?

Answer 15

Demography is the systematic study of the population. It is of greek origin meaning demos(people) and graphein(description) implying the description of people

Question 16

When was the first and last census carried out in India?

Answer 16

The first census in India was carried out by the British govt in 1867- 1872,the last census was carried out in 2011. It was the largest census in the world

Question 17

What is a dependent population?

Answer 17

The part of the population that depends on others for their livelihood and other necessities is called dependent population. In India it is 0-14 yrs old and 60+ years old.

Question 18

What are urbanism and urbanisation?

Answer 18

• Urbanismrefers to the lifestyle or culture of city dwellers. It is often associated with the rise of a distinctive urban mentality, values, and patterns of behavior. Urbanism involves the study of how inhabitants of urban areas, such as towns and cities, interact with the built environment. It is the way in which societies adapt to the change from a rural to an urban landscape.
• Urbanisationis the process in which the situation of villages changes and urban features start to develop in that area.It involves the migration of people from rural areas to urban areas, resulting in changes in their ways of living to urban ways1.This often results in family discords, breaking up of joint families, an increase in materialistic approach, reduction in emotional ties, and development of secondary relationships among people.

Question 19

Give some features of cities ?

Answer 19

1. Division of Labour: Cities are characterized by a high degree of division of labour.This means that people in cities often specialize in specific jobs or professions
2. Formal Relations: Relationships in cities tend to be more formal and less personal than in rural areas.This is due to the larger population and the diversity of interactions
3. Industrial Presence: Cities typically have a higher concentration of industries compared to rural areas
4. Less Dependence on Agriculture: Unlike rural areas, where agriculture is often the main source of livelihood, cities are less dependent on agriculture.Instead, they rely more on non-agricultural occupations
5. Population: Cities can be divided into different classes based on their population.
6. Impersonal Relations: In cities, relationships tend to be impersonal due to the large population and the nature of urban life
7. Secondary Groups: Cities are characterized by the emphasis on secondary groups, which are formal and impersonal in nature

Question 20

What is town ?

Answer 20

Atownis a geographical area that is larger than a village but smaller than a city.It generally has a population of more than 5,000, a population density of 400 persons per square kilometer or more, and more than 75% of the people are engaged in non-agricultural works.Towns often serve as a transitional zone between rural and urban areas, exhibiting characteristics of both

Question 21

What is the modern village?

Answer 21

It’s a village that has been influenced by modernization and has adopted many of the characteristics of urban areas, while still maintaining some of its traditional rural features

Question 22

What is the Jajmani system?(CBSE 2011)

Answer 22

The Jajmani systemis a socio-economic relationship of muted interdependency seen between the upper castes and lower castes in the rural area of India.

In this system, the upper caste category that has resources is called theJajman, and the lower caste category, which has control only over labour power, is calledKamin.The Jajman owns the land, livestock, etc., and the Kamin and his family members provide their services to the Jajman and in return, the Kamin is rewarded in cash or in kind.

Question 23

What is a Joint Family?

Answer 23

AJoint Familyis a family structure where members of more than two generations live together under a common roof and share a common kitchen

1. Large in Size: A joint family includes members of many generations who are related through descent from the father
2. Cooperation: All the members of the family help each other.
3. Common Residence and Kitchen: All members live under a common roof and share a common kitchen
4. Authority: The family is usually headed by a senior member, often the oldest male, who makes decisions on behalf of the entire family
5. Shared Resources: The family’s resources are pooled and shared among all members
6. Social Security: The joint family provides social security to its members.

Question 24

What is meant by homogeneity in rural life?

Answer 24

Homogeneity in rural liferefers to the similarity in the lifestyle, culture, and habits of people living in a village. When people of the same culture live in the village, their eating habits, ways of living, dressing, etc.are the same.This is because people in a village share a common culture.This homogeneity often results in a strong sense of community and shared identity among the villagers.

Question 25

Give three differences between village and cities?

Answer 25

Three differences between villages and cities:

1. Population: The population is less in villages and more in cities.
2. Services: Few medical and educational services are available in villages, but they are more in cities.
3. Occupation: Most of the rural people are engaged in agricultural works, but most of the urban people are engaged in non-agricultural works

Question 26

Why are rural people moving towards urban areas ?

Answer 26

Rural people are moving towards urban areas due to several reasons:

1. Better Opportunities: Urban areas generally offer better job opportunities, higher wages, and a perceived improvement in living standards.
2. Quality Services: Urban areas tend to have better healthcare and educational services
3. Infrastructure: Urban areas often have better infrastructure, including public transportation, sanitation, and other amenities.
4. Push Factors: Factors such as poverty, lack of basic amenities, and difficult conditions in villages push people to move out.
5. Pull Factors: The prospect of a better life, more work opportunities, and better living conditions in cities attract rural people.

Question 27

Tell us something about the literacy rate in India?

Answer 27

1. India’s Literacy Rate:
   
   • As of2011, India’s overall literacy rate stood at74%.
   • Male Literacy Rate:82.1%
   • Female Literacy Rate: 65.5%
2. Current Scenario:
   
   • In2022, India’s literacy rate was approximately76.32%, with a majority of literate individuals being men

Question 28

What are the major religions of India?

Answer 28

Rural people are moving towards urban areas due to several reasons:

1. Better Opportunities: Urban areas generally offer better job opportunities, higher wages, and a perceived improvement in living standards.
2. Quality Services: Urban areas tend to have better healthcare and educational services
3. Infrastructure: Urban areas often have better infrastructure, including public transportation, sanitation, and other amenities.
4. Push Factors: Factors such as poverty, lack of basic amenities, and difficult conditions in villages push people to move out.
5. Pull Factors: The prospect of a better life, more work opportunities, and better living conditions in cities attract rural people.
   - Tell us something about the literacy rate in India?
   
   1. India’s Literacy Rate:
      
      • As of2011, India’s overall literacy rate stood at74%.
      • Male Literacy Rate:82.1%
      • Female Literacy Rate: 65.5%
   2. Current Scenario:
      
      • In2022, India’s literacy rate was approximately76.32%, with a majority of literate individuals being men
        
        • What are the major religions of India?
   3. Hinduism:
      
      • Hinduismis the predominant religion in India, followed by a significant majority of the population(79.5%)
      • It encompasses diverse beliefs, practices, and rituals.
      • Hinduism has no single founder and is characterized by its rich mythology, sacred texts (such as the Vedas), and a wide array of deities.
   4. Islam:
      
      • Muslimsconstitute a substantial minority in India.
      • About13.4%of the population adheres to Islam, making India the world’s third-largest Muslim country after Indonesia and Pakistan.
   5. Christianity:
      
      • Christiansform another religious community in India, comprising approximately2.3%of the population.
      • Christianity arrived in India through colonial interactions and missionary efforts.
   6. Sikhism:
      
      • Sikhsconstitute a significant religious group, accounting for about1.9%of the population.
      • Sikhism originated in the Punjab region and emphasizes equality, service, and devotion.
   7. Buddhism:
      
      • Buddhistsform a smaller but notable community, representing around0.8%of the population.
      • Buddhism, founded by Gautama Buddha, has historical roots in India.
   8. Jainism:
      
      • Jainsconstitute a minority group, making up approximately0.4%of the population.
      • Jainism emphasizes nonviolence (ahimsa), asceticism, and spiritual liberation.
   9. Other Minor Religions:
      
      • A smaller percentage of the population followsZoroastrianism,Judaism, and other tribal sects