HANSRAJ MODEL SCHOOL, PUNJABI BAGH

SUBJECT : GEOGRAPHY
CLASS : IX
LESSON – POPULATION
Q.1 Describe the basic factors affecting the population of India.

The basic factors affecting the population of India are as under :

 Birth Rate: It is the number of live births per 1,000 individuals of a population per annum. It
increases both population size and population density.
 Death or Mortality Rate: It is expressed as the number of death per 1,000 individuals of a
population per year. It decreases both population size and population density.
 Migration: Migration is the movement of the people across regions and territories. Migration
can be internal or international.
Q.2 Explain the factors that influence the population distribution in India.

Factors that influence the population distribution are :

 Type of Climate: Areas having moderate climate have more population than the areas having
extreme climatic conditions. Leh and Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir and western Rajasthan
have extreme type of climate. Therefore, these regions have less or sparse population.
 Type of Soil: India’s northern plains and coastal plains are made up of alluvial soil which is
very fertile. So, these areas are densely populated. On the other hand, hilly areas and deserts
are thinly populated.
 Opportunity for Jobs: The areas which have more opportunities of jobs are thickly populated,
whereas areas which do not provide people with job opportunities are sparsely populated.
Urban areas are thickly populated because of this factor.
 Religious and Historical Places like Allahabad, Varanasi, Rameshwaram, Agra etc. are also
thickly populated. (any three points)
Q.3 Categorize the population of a nation into three broad categories based on age composition.

The population of a nation is generally grouped into three broad categories :

 Children (below 15 years): This group is economically unproductive. They need to be
provided with food, clothing, education and medical care.
 Working Age (15 to 59 years): They are economically productive and biologically
reproductive. This group bears the burden of children and aged people.
 Aged (above 59 years): They can be economically productive.
Q.4 Highlight the measures taken by the NPP 2000 to protect adolescent population?

The NPP 2000 identified adolescents as one of the major section of the population that need greater
attention :
 The policy puts greater emphasis on other important needs of adolescent including protection
from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STD).
 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, and strengthening legal measures to prevent
child marriage.
Q.5 Define sex ratio. What are the reasons for low sex ratio in India?

Sex ratio is defined as the number of females per 1000 males in the population. The sex ratio in India
is 943 in 2011. It is an important social indicator to measure the extent of equality between males and
females in a society at a given time. The sex ratio in India has always remained unfavourable to
females. The main reasons behind the low sex ratio in India are :
 Unequal social treatment.
 Discrimination against girl child.
 Low literacy rates and lack of social awareness.
 Evil effects of early marriage and deaths in large numbers during child birth.
 Insufficient attention to care of girls after birth, during adolescent period and during
motherhood.
 Poverty leads to preference for male child as they become breadearners. These factors lead to
more deaths among females and affects the sex ratio of the country.
Q.6 What are the three main determinants of the density of population in India?

There are several factors responsible for fluctuating the density of population. Out of them, following
are the major three factors attributing to variation at large :

 (i) Physical Factors: The areas uninhabitable to human beings are responsible for lowering
down the density of population thereon, e.g., hot tropical deserts like the Thar Desert of
Rajasthan, the tropical rain forests and rugged mountains of north-east India. In these are&s,
there is low density of population. Contrary to it, coastal lands, river valleys and fertile soil
lands have high density of population, e.g., Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and West
Bengal.

 (ii) Human Factors: Human factors include the establishment of manufacturing industries,
excavation of mines, etc. These attract the people to come and settle there and thus, the
population density of that industrial area spurts, e.g., Delhi, Mumbai, Jharkhand, etc. The
 density of population is high in these regions because of a number of manufacturing
industries established there.

 (iii) Cultural Factors: The cultural factor is also responsible for the fluctuation in density of
population. We see that low density of population is found in areas where primitive people
are engaged in primary activities like pastoral nomadism, food gathering and fishing, etc.

Q.7 What is migration? Which are the two types “of migration? Describe the trends of migration in
India.

(i) Migration is the movement of people across regions and territories.

(ii) Migration can be internal or international.
(iii) In India, most migrations have been form rural to urban areas because of the push factor in rural
areas. These are adverse conditions of poverty and unemployment in the rural areas and the ‘pull’ of
the city in terms of increased employment opportunities and better living conditions.

Q.8 What is census? When was the first census held in India? Which type of In formations can we
get through census?

(i) A census is an official enumeration of population done periodically.

(ii) In India, the first census was held in the year 1872. The first complete census, how ever,
was taken in the year 1881. Since then, the censuses have been held regularly every tenth year
(iii) The Indian census is the most comprehensive source of demographic, social and
economic data.

Q.9 What do you mean by growth of population? How is it calculated?

Growth of population or population growth refers to the change in the number of inhabitants of a
country during a specific period of time, say during the last ten years. It can be expressed in two
ways:
(i) A bsolute Numbers: 11 is obtained by simply subtracting the earlier population from the later
population. It is referred to as the ‘absolute increase’.
(ii) Annual Growth Rate: When the rate or pace of population is studied in per cent per annum. If
increase is 2 per cent, i.e., there was an increase of two persons for every 100 persons in the base
population. This is referred to as the annual growth rate.

Q.10 What is occupational structure? How are occupations generally classified?

The distribution of the population according to different types of occupation is referred to as

Occupational Structure. Occupations are generally classified as:
(i) Primary activities: These include agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, fishing, mining
and quarrying, etc.
(ii) Secondary activities: These include the manufacturing industry, building and construction
work, etc.
(iii) Tertiary activities: These include transport, communication, commerce, administration
and other services.
Q.11 What does the National Population Policy indicate?

(i) The NPP 2000 provides a policy framework for imparting free and compulsory school education
up to 14 years.
(ii) It reduces the infant mortality rate to below 30 per thousand live births.
(iii) It helps in achieving universal immunisation of children against all vaccine-preventable diseases.
(iv) It has promoted delayed marriage for girls and has made family welfare a people-centred
programme.

Q.12 What are the advantages of having a healthy population?

(i) Health is an important component of population composition, which affects the process of
development.
(ii) If the health of our country’s population is looked after properly by the government, the ability to
produce more will increase.
(iii) Good health is related to a disease-free population and a healthy population is always an asset to
a country.

Q.12 Which areas are sparsely populated in India and why?

Sparsely populated areas of India are high mountain regions of Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal
Pradesh and desert parts of Rajasthan.
Reasons:
(i) Extremely cold climatic condition, which makes living difficult.
(ii) High and snow covered areas do not favour any kind of habitation.
(iii) There are few regions which are fertile but they, too, are small and scattered. Besides that, it is
difficult to approach these areas since there are no good means of transportation and communication
available.
(iv) Desert area of Rajasthan is arid, hot and dry region. It has sandy soils, not suitable for
cultivation. So, it does not favour any habitation.

Q.13 What is density of population? Give India’s population distribution by density with the reasons
responsible for the same.

Density of population is calculated as the number of persons per unit area. The population density of
India in 2001 was 324 persons per sq. km.
(i) Regions with sparse population density: Rugged terrain and unfavourable climatic conditions are
primarily responsible for sparse population in these areas. For example, Jammu and Kashmir,
Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.
(ii) Regions with moderate population density: Hilly, dissected and rocky nature of terrain, moderate
to low rainfall, shallow and less fertile soils have influenced the population densities in these areas.
For example, Assam and peninsular states.
(iii) Regions with high density of population: These areas have high population density because of
the flat plains with fertile soils and abundant rainfall. For example, Northern plains and Kerala.
Q.14 What is the difference between Population Growth and Population Change? Or Distinguish
between population growth and population change.

 Growth of Population: It refers to the change in the number of inhabitants of a

country/region during a specific period of time. Population growth can be expressed in the
absolute numbers as well as percentage per annum. Annual growth rate is measured in terms
of percentage. For example, if it is 2 per cent, there is an increase of 2 persons for every 100
persons.

 Change in Population: It happens due to the birth rate, death rate and the migration. If birth
rate is high and death rate is low, there will be a growth in population. In migration, people
move across regions and territories. Migration can be internal or international. Internal
migration does not change the size of the population but influences the distribution of
population within the nation.

Q.15 What are the significant features of the National Population Policy 2000?

Aims/Objectives of National Population Policy 2000

(i) Imparting free and compulsory school education upto 14 years of age.
(ii) Reducing infant mortality rate to below 30 per 1000 live births.
(iii) Achieving universal immunisation of children against all vaccine preventable diseases.
(iv) Promoting delayed marriage for girls.
(v) Making family welfare a people centered programme.
(vi) Protection of adolescent girls from unwanted pregnancies.
(vii) Protection of adolescents from Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) and education them
about the risks of unprotected sex.
(viii) Making contraceptive services accessible and affordable.
(a) Providing food supplement and nutritional services.
(b) Strengthening legal measures to prevent child marriage.