Class | Subject | Book | Chapter | Session | Questions covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XII | Geography | India: People and Economy (NCERT) | 1 – Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition | 2026-27 | 10 of 10 |
Chapter at a glance
Topic | Key point |
|---|---|
Population (Census 2011) | 1,210 million (121.09 crore) — 17.5% of world population on 2.4% of the world’s area |
Distribution | Uttar Pradesh most populous; UP, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh together about half of India’s population |
Density | 382 persons/sq km (2011); highest Bihar (1,106), lowest Arunachal Pradesh (17) |
Growth phases | 1901–1921 stagnant; 1921–1951 steady; 1951–1981 population explosion; 1981 onwards steady but slowing |
Composition | Rural–urban (68.8% rural); Goa most urbanised (62.2%); linguistic (Indo-Aryan 73%, Dravidian 20%, Austric, Sino-Tibetan); religious composition |
Working population | Main workers, marginal workers, non-workers; work participation rate ~39.8%; primary sector 54.6% of workers (2011) |
Exercise Questions
Question 1 (i)
India’s population as per 2011 census is:
(a) 1028 million (b) 3182 million (c) 3287 million (d) 1210 million
Answer
According to Census 2011, India’s population was 1,210.8 million (121.08 crore). (1028 million was the 2001 figure; 3287 thousand sq km is India’s area.)
- 1210 million
Question 1 (ii)
Which one of the following states has the highest density of population in India?
(a) West Bengal (b) Kerala (c) Uttar Pradesh (d) Bihar
Answer
According to Census 2011, Bihar has the highest density — 1,106 persons per sq km (West Bengal 1,028; Kerala 860; UP 829).
- Bihar
Question 1 (iii)
Which one of the following states has the highest proportion of urban population in India according to 2011 Census?
(a) Tamil Nadu (b) Maharashtra (c) Kerala (d) Goa
Answer
Goa has the highest proportion of urban population among states — about 62.2% (Census 2011), followed by Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
- Goa
Question 1 (iv)
Which one of the following is the largest linguistic group of India?
(a) Sino–Tibetan (b) Indo–Aryan (c) Austric (d) Dravidian
Answer
The Indo-Aryan (Indo-European) family is the largest linguistic group, spoken by about 73% of India’s population (Dravidian about 20%, Austric 1.38%, Sino-Tibetan 0.85%).
- Indo–Aryan
Question 2 (i)
Very hot and dry and very cold and wet regions of India have low density of population. In this light, explain the role of climate on the distribution of population.
Answer
Climate strongly influences where people live. Regions with moderate climate and adequate rainfall support agriculture and comfortable living, so they are densely populated (e.g. the northern plains, coastal areas). Regions with extreme climate — very hot and dry deserts (western Rajasthan) or very cold and wet areas (high Himalayas of Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh) — are unfavourable for agriculture, settlement and transport, so they have low population density.
Moderate climate with adequate rainfall favours agriculture and living, creating high densities (northern plains, coasts), while extreme climates — hot, dry deserts like western Rajasthan and cold, wet Himalayan areas like Ladakh and Arunachal — discourage farming and settlement, giving low densities.
Question 2 (ii)
Which states have large rural population in India? Give one reason for such large rural population.
Answer
States with a large rural population (in absolute numbers): Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha; in percentage terms, Himachal Pradesh (90%), Bihar (88.7%), Assam, Odisha.
Reason: these states are predominantly agricultural — a large share of people depend on farming; industrialisation and urbanisation are limited, so few non-farm jobs exist in towns.
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha have large rural populations (Himachal Pradesh and Bihar have the highest rural shares), mainly because their economies depend on agriculture and urban-industrial development is limited.
Question 2 (iii)
Why do some states of India have higher rates of work participation than others?
Answer
The work participation rate (proportion of workers in the total population) is higher in states where: 1. Economic development is low and people, including women and children, have to work for subsistence (e.g. tribal and agricultural states like Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh). 2. Agriculture and allied activities dominate, involving family labour, including women. 3. Social norms allow greater participation of women in work. States with a large dependent population (young or elderly), urban areas with fewer women workers, or more students may have lower rates.
Work participation is higher where economic development is lower and people, including women, must work for subsistence — often in agricultural and tribal states (Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram) where family labour and women’s participation in farm work are common.
Question 2 (iv)
‘The agricultural sector has the largest share of Indian workers.’ – Explain.
Answer
About 54.6% of India’s workers (Census 2011) are engaged in the primary sector — as cultivators and agricultural labourers. This is because: 1. India is a predominantly rural, agricultural country; agriculture is the traditional occupation. 2. Limited growth of industries and services has not absorbed the growing labour force. 3. Agriculture requires little formal education or skills, and family labour is used. 4. Low levels of urbanisation and education keep people in farming. However, this share is declining (58.2% in 2001 to 54.6% in 2011) as secondary and tertiary sectors grow.
About 54.6% of Indian workers (2011) are cultivators or agricultural labourers because India is largely rural and agricultural, industries and services have not absorbed the growing workforce, and farming needs little formal skill and uses family labour — though the share is slowly declining.
Question 3 (i)
Discuss the spatial pattern of density of population in India.
Answer
Population density is the number of persons per unit area. India’s density was 382 persons/sq km in 2011 (up from 77 in 1951). It varies widely:
- Very high density (above 500) – Bihar (1,106), West Bengal (1,028), Kerala (860), Uttar Pradesh (829), Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Punjab; and Union Territories like Delhi (11,320) and Chandigarh. Reasons: fertile alluvial plains of the Ganga and coastal plains, abundant water, favourable climate, intensive agriculture, urbanisation and industrialisation.
- Moderate density (250–500) – Assam, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh. Reasons: plateau regions, moderate rainfall, mineral resources, agriculture and industrial development.
- Low density (below 250) – Arunachal Pradesh (17), Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan (western part). Reasons: rugged mountainous terrain, dense forests, extreme climate (deserts, cold), poor soils, poor accessibility.
Factors: physical (relief, climate, soils, water), socio-economic (agriculture, industrialisation, urbanisation, transport) and historical factors.
Physiological and agricultural density – physiological density (population/net cultivated area) and agricultural density (agricultural population/net cultivable area) give better insight into population pressure on land.
India’s density (382/sq km in 2011) varies widely: very high in the fertile plains and coasts — Bihar (1,106), West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi — due to fertile soils, water, climate, agriculture and urbanisation; moderate in plateau states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Odisha; and low in mountainous, forested, dry or cold regions such as Arunachal Pradesh (17), the north-eastern hill states, Ladakh, Himachal and western Rajasthan.
Question 3 (ii)
Give an account of the occupational structure of India’s population.
Answer
Classification of population (Census): 1. Main workers – persons who work for at least 183 days (six months) in a year; 2. Marginal workers – persons who work for less than 183 days in a year; 3. Non-workers – those who do not work (students, homemakers, dependants, the elderly).
Work participation rate – about 39.8% of India’s population are workers (main + marginal); about 60% are non-workers, indicating a high dependency ratio. Work participation varies across states.
Occupational categories (four-fold classification by the Census): 1. Cultivators; 2. Agricultural labourers; 3. Household industry workers; 4. Other workers (non-household industry, trade, commerce, construction, services, transport).
Sectoral distribution (2011): - Primary sector (cultivators + agricultural labourers) – about 54.6% of total workers; - Secondary sector – about 3.8% household industry, plus manufacturing, construction; - Tertiary sector – about 41.6% “other workers”. - The share of workers in agriculture has declined (58.2% in 2001 to 54.6% in 2011), while the share in secondary and tertiary sectors has increased, showing a slow shift.
Gender differences – female workers are relatively more concentrated in the primary sector; there has been some improvement in women’s participation in secondary and tertiary sectors.
Spatial variations – states like Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim have a very high share of cultivators; Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh have a high share of agricultural labourers; highly urbanised areas like Delhi, Chandigarh and Puducherry have a large share of “other workers”.
India’s population is classified into main workers (183+ days of work), marginal workers and non-workers; only about 39.8% are workers. Of these, about 54.6% are in the primary sector (cultivators and agricultural labourers), about 3.8% in household industries and about 41.6% in other industries and services (2011). The share in agriculture is declining as secondary and tertiary sectors grow; women are concentrated in agriculture, and urbanised areas like Delhi have mostly “other workers”.
Topic checklist
- ☒ Size, distribution and density (Q 1 (i), 1 (ii), 2 (i), 3 (i))
- ☒ Rural–urban and linguistic composition (Q 1 (iii), 1 (iv), 2 (ii))
- ☒ Working population and occupational structure (Q 2 (iii), 2 (iv), 3 (ii))