- Why is the rate of population growth in India declining since 1981?
Solution:
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. - Discuss the major components of population growth.
Solution:
There are three main components of population growth are birth rates, death rates, and migration. - Define age structure, death rate, and birth rate.
Solution:
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. - How is migration a determinant factor of population change?
Solution:
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.
- What are the advantages of having a healthy population?
Solution:
Health is an important component of population composition, which affects the process of development. Sustained efforts of government programmes have registered significant improvements in the health conditions of the Indian population.
Death rates have declined from 25 per 1000 population in 1951 to 8.1 per 1000 in 2001 and life expectancy at birth has increased from 36.7 years in 1951 to 64.6 years in 2001.
The substantial improvement is the result of many factors including improvement in public health, prevention of infectious diseases and application of modern medical practices in the diagnosis and treatment of ailments. Despite considerable achievements, the health situation is a matter of major concern for India.
The per capita calorie consumption is much below the recommended levels and malnutrition afflicts a large percentage of our population. Safe drinking water and basic sanitation amenities are available to only one-third of the rural population. These problems need to be tackled through an appropriate population policy.
- What are the significant features of the National Population Policy 2000?
Solution:
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 from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STD).
3. It called for programmes that aim towards encouraging delayed marriage and child-bearing, education of adolescents about the risks of unprotected sex, making contraceptive services accessible and affordable, providing food supplements, nutritional services, strengthening legal measures to prevent child marriage.