Population Class 9 Notes: CBSE Geography (Contemporary India-I) Chapter 6

Human beings are necessary for economic and social development. People use resources and also make them, in turn, themselves being resources. The human population is a reference point for the study and observation of all other elements. Resources, disasters, and calamity are meaningful only when concerning a population. Human beings act as producers and consumers of the earth's resources. Hence it is extremely important to know the number of people in a country, their distribution, along their characteristics. The census of a country provides us with information regarding its population.

Size and Distribution of Population

Size and Distribution of Population in Terms of Numbers

• According to records from 2001, the population of India was 1,028 million, which forms 16.7 per cent of the world's population.

• This population is distributed unevenly over 3.28 million square kilometres, which is only 2.4 per cent of the world's area. 

• Half of the Indian population is living in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh. 

• Uttar Pradesh has 16% of the country's population. The mountainous state of Sikkim has 0.5% population of the country. Lakshadweep has just 60 thousand people living here. Rajasthan is the largest state of India yet has only 5.5% of the population.

Size and Distribution of Population in Terms of Density.

• Population density is the number of persons per unit area. It is a term used to estimate the population of a place. India is an extremely densely populated country. 

• The population density of Assam and the peninsula states is moderate because the terrain is rocky, rainfall is moderate to low, and the soil is poor.

• In the northern plains and Kerala, there exist high population densities because of fertile soil, abundant rainfall, and flat land.

Growth and Change of Population

Numbers, composition, and distribution of a population are under constant change, making it a dynamic process. It is influenced by the interaction of births, deaths, and migrations.

Population Growth

• The growth of a population refers to a change in the number of people in a place over a time span. The population changes can be expressed in terms of either absolute numbers or percentage change per year.

• Absolute population change is calculated by subtracting the earlier year population from the latter one. This is referred to as an absolute increase. 

• The rate of population increase is referred to as the annual growth rate. 

• The Indian population has been steadily increasing. It had increased from 361 million in 1951 to 1028 million in 2001. 

• However, from 1981, the rate of growth rate saw a rapid decline.

• The current rate of Indian population increase is extremely large to neutralize resource conservation efforts.

Population Change

• Population changes are associated with a few processes like birth rate, death rate, and migration. 

• The birth rate is defined as the number of births per thousand persons in a year. In India, the birth rate is always higher than the death rate. 

• The death rate can be defined as the number of people dying per thousand people in a year. The Indian death rate has always been lower. 

• Migration can also be defined as the movement of a population from one place to another. Migration can be both internal that is within the country and internationally. Internal population changes do not affect population size but do affect the population distribution. 

• Indian population has been influenced by rural-to-urban migrations.

Population Characteristics

A few population characteristics are as follows:

1. Age Composition

• The age composition of a population can be defined as the number of individuals in different age groups in the country. 

• The age composition of a population determines its social and economic structure. 

• A population can be divided into three categories, namely the children, the working-age population, and the aged population.

• The first group is that of children below 15 years of age. This group is economically and productive and needs to be provided with necessities like food, clothing, education, and medical care. 

• The working age is between 15 years to 59 years. These people are economically productive and biologically capable of reproduction. They are considered the working population. 

• The age group consists of individuals above 59 years of age. They may be economically reproductive despite being retired, as some may be working voluntarily. They are not eligible for employment throughout the documentation.

2. Sex Ratio

• Sex Ratio can be defined as the number of female individuals per 1000 males in the population.

• This acts as a social indicator to estimate the equality between males and females.

• In our country, the female sex ratio has remained unfavourable.

3. Literacy Rate

• Literacy rates determine the extent of economic development in the country.

• According to the Census data of 2001, if an individual of 7 years of age can read and write a specific language or more is considered literate. 

• Literate individuals are capable of taking part in research and development projects and making intelligent choices.

• Literacy rates in India have seen steady improvements.

4. Occupational Structure

• The active percentage of the economy forms an essential index in the estimation of development in the country. 

• The distribution of population depending on the different types of occupation is said to be the occupational structure of a country. 

• Occupations can be divided into three categories primary, secondary and tertiary. 

• Primary activities are agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, mining, quarrying, and forestry.

• Secondary occupational activities include building construction, manufacturing industries, etc.

• Tertiary occupational activities are communications, commerce, administration, transport, etc. 

• The proportion of people working in each category differs from country to country. In a developed country, there is a very high proportion of people in secondary and tertiary activities occupations. In contrast, in developing countries, a higher population proportion is engaged in primary activities.

• 64% of the Indian population is engaged in agriculture. People involved in secondary and tertiary services are 13 and 20% respectively in India.

• Later times, there was a move to the auxiliary and tertiary segments due to industrialization and urbanization.

5. Health

• Health is another important component of a population that affects the process of development largely.

• There has been a decline in the death rate from 25 per thousand population in 1951 to 8.1 per thousand population in 2000. At the same time, life expectancy has increased significantly. 

• Reasons for increasing life expectancy are improvement in public health, prevention of infectious diseases, and use of modern medical practices for diagnosis and treatment. 

• Despite all these considerable achievements, the health conditions in India are a serious matter of concern. Malnutrition, availability of safe drinking water, and basic sanitization requirements are available to only one-third of the rural population.

These problems are yet to be tackled with proper policies and programs.

6. Death Rate and Population Growth

The death rate is how many people die per thousand people each year. In India, the main reason for the growing population has been the rapid decrease in death rates. Before 1980, high birth rates and falling death rates meant that the population grew quickly. However, since 1981, birth rates have also been falling, leading to slower population growth.

7. Migration and Its Effects

Migration is when people move from one place to another. This can be within a country (internal migration) or between countries (international migration). While internal migration doesn’t change the total population, it affects how people are spread out. In India, many people move from rural (country) areas to urban (city) areas due to poor conditions in the countryside and better job opportunities in cities.

Migration influences not only the size of the population but also its makeup. For example, it affects the age and sex distribution of populations. In India, more people are moving to cities, increasing the urban population from 17.29% in 1951 to 31.80% in 2011. The number of big cities with over a million people has also grown significantly.

National Population Policy

Individual health and welfare are highly associated with family planning. The Government of India came up with a program in 1952. It was a comprehensive family planning program. The program was to promote responsible and planned parenthood voluntarily. The National Population Policy of 2000 was set up to impart compulsory free school education up to 14 years of age, reduce infant mortality, facilitate universal immunisation of children, delay marriage for girls and make family welfare a people-centric program.

NPP 2000 and Adolescence

According to NPP, adolescence is a major part of the population. Adolescence forms a vital and vulnerable section. They, besides the emphasis on nutritional requirements, need protection from unwanted pregnancies, STDs, etc. There was a need for programs that aimed at delaying marriage and child-bearing, making contraceptives cheaply and easily available, strengthening the laws related to child marriage, educating individuals about the risks of unprotected sex, and accessibility to nutritional requirements.

Most Frequently Asked Questions and Answers from Class 9 Geography Chapter 6

1. Differentiate between population growth and population change.
Ans: The differences between population growth and population change are tabulated below

• Population Growth: It is the distinction between birth rate and development rate also the movement in a year. It is expressed in terms of percentage.

• Population Change: It is the change in the number of people in a population in a certain year. It is expressed in numbers.

2. How does migration affect the population?
Ans: Movement alludes to the development of the populace from one put to another. Migration is of two types internal migration, which occurs inside the country, and international migration, which arises from one country to another. In internal migration, the population density remains unaffected while the population distribution is changed. International migration affects both population density and distribution. The majority of migrations in India have taken place from rural to urban areas in India.

3. What is the Census?
Ans: A Census is an official national enumeration of the population done at regular intervals. The first Census in India was held in the year 1872. The first complete census was noted in the year 1881. Every ten years, the Census of India is calculated. It acts as a comprehensive demographic, economic, and social data.

4. How is occupational structure and development related?
Ans: The occupational structure of a country determines its development status to a large extent. In a developed country, the majority of the population is engaged in secondary and tertiary occupational services, while in a developing country, the majority of the workforce is engaged in primary occupational services. In a country like India, 64% of the population is engaged in agriculture, a very primary occupation. 13 and 20 per cent of the population is engaged in secondary and tertiary occupational activities in India.

5. How is a healthy population important for a country?
Ans: A healthy population is more productive and efficient as compared to an unhealthy population. Good health helps an individual to understand their population better. Absenteeism is low in a healthy population as compared to an unhealthy population. A healthy population makes up a better workforce in the country. The non-productive health group of the country also needs to be healthy as that reduces the burden from the healthcare sector of the country.

6. Why has population growth been declining since 1981?
Ans: Population growth has been declining since 1981 because of the increased use of birth control measures. There was a rising rate of literacy in the country. People were more aware of complications related to population growth. Government policies were made to control the growing population. These policies educated people on the importance of delayed marriage and childbearing, the risks of unprotected sex, etc.

7. Write briefly on the adolescent population in the country.
Ans: The adolescent population in the country is a section that requires extra attention and care. They are a vulnerable section, and besides proper nutritional care and requirements, they are to be safeguarded from several other things. These include unwanted pregnancies, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The National Population Policy aims to safeguard this section of the population. This policy aims to encourage delayed marriage and childbearing, educate the population about the risks of unprotected sex, provide nutritional requirements, and strengthen legal rights against the prevention of child marriage.

5 Important Topics of Class 9 Geography Chapter 6 Population

Importance of Class 9 Social Science Geography Chapter 6 Population Revision Notes 

• The chapter explains how declining death rates and gradually decreasing birth rates affect overall population growth.

• It discusses the role of migration, both internal and international, in shaping population distribution and urbanization.

• The impact of migration on the composition of populations, including age and sex distribution, is covered.

• It highlights the increase in urban populations and the rise in the number of 'million-plus cities,' indicating urban expansion.

• The chapter explores the significance of the adolescent population and future demographic trends for societal planning and development.

Tips for Learning the Class 9 Geography Chapter 6 Population

• Understand the key concepts such as birth rates, death rates, migration, and their effects on population growth and distribution.

• Use visual aids like charts, graphs, and maps to see population trends, migration patterns, and urban growth.

• Create brief summaries of each section to remember the main points and understand how factors like migration and birth rates impact population changes.

• Connect the concepts to real-world scenarios and current events to understand their practical implications.

• Work through practice questions and past papers to test your understanding and become familiar with possible exam questions.

• Engage in discussions with classmates or study groups to clarify doubts and gain different perspectives on the chapter’s content.

Conclusion

For an enhanced comprehension of this subject, NCERT - Class 9 Social Chapter 6 - Population thoughtfully prepared by experienced educators at Vedantu is your invaluable companion. These notes break down the complexities of Population into easily digestible sections, helping you grasp new concepts and navigate through questions effortlessly quickly in the last minute as well. By immersing yourself in these notes, you not only prepare for your studies more efficiently but also develop a profound understanding of the subject matter.

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