India: Population, Migration, Human Development and Settlements
Domain 5: India - Population, Migration, Human Development and Settlements
The exam tests Census-based population patterns, migration streams, HDI dimensions and the rural-urban settlement hierarchy in India.
Core rules
- Census 2011 recorded about 1.21 billion people, density 382 per km², sex ratio 943 females per 1000 males, literacy 74.04% and urban population 31.16%.
- Population distribution is uneven: the Ganga plain, coastal plains and metropolitan regions are dense; deserts, hills and forested plateau areas are sparse.
- Migration streams are classified as intra-state, inter-state and international; rural-to-urban is a major stream. Push factors include low wages and land pressure; pull factors include jobs, education and services.
- HDI uses life expectancy, education and per capita income. India's HDI has improved, but interstate and rural-urban gaps remain.
- Settlements include statutory towns, census towns, urban agglomerations and million-plus cities. Census towns are urban by population criteria but lack municipal status.
Worked example
A district has 12 million people aged 0–14, 4 million aged 65 and above, and 24 million aged 15–64. Dependency ratio = (12 + 4)/24 × 100 = 66.7. This is a relatively favourable age structure, but it becomes a demographic dividend only if the working-age population is educated and employed.
Traps
Remember that India's census sex ratio is females per 1000 males, not males per 1000 females. Do not treat migration as only international. Do not count census towns as statutory towns. Do not claim a low dependency ratio automatically guarantees development.