INTRODUCTION
Can you imagine a world without human beings? Who would have utilised the resources and created social and cultural environment? The people are important to develop the economy and society. The people make and use resources and are themselves resources with varying quality. Coal is but a piece of rock, until people were able to invent technology to obtain it and make it a ‘resource’. Natural events, like a flood or a Tsunami, becomes a ‘disaster’ only when
they affect a crowded village or a town.
Hence, the population is a pivotal element in social studies. It is the point of reference from which all other elements are observed and from which they derive significance and meaning. ‘Resources’, ‘calamities’ and ‘disasters’ are all meaningful only in relation to human beings. Their numbers, distribution, growth and characteristics or qualities provide the basic background for understanding and appreciating all aspects of the environment.
Human beings are producers and consumers of the earth’s resources. Therefore, it is important to know how many people are there in a country, where do they live, how and why their numbers are increasing and what are their characteristics. The census of India provides us with information regarding the population of our country.
We are primarily concerned with three major questions about population:
* Population size and distribution: How many people are there and where are they located?
* Population growth and processes of population change: How has the population grown and changed through time?
* Characteristics or qualities of the population: What are their age, sex composition, literacy levels, occupational structure and health conditions?
More to know about Census
A census is an official enumeration of the population done periodically. In India, the first census was held in the year 1872. The first complete census, however, was taken in the year 1881. Since then, censuses have been held regularly every tenth year. The Indian Census is the most comprehensive source of demographic, social and economic data. Have you ever seen a census report? Check-in your library if it has one.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK