Differential in Population Growth rates in Jharkhand: A Geographical Analysis

The pivotal importance of population growth rate has been recognized for a long time. The historical background has been described by Cole (1958) and Hutchinson (1978), on which some of the following outline is based. The idea of geometric population growth restrained at higher densities by the carrying capacity of the environment was put forward in a book by Botero (1588), and was famously elaborated and brought to general attention by Malthus (1798). Detailed interest in tables of mortality began in the late seventeenth century, with mathematical analyses by Huygens and later Buffon among others. Interestingly, Cole suggests that Newton notably ‗failed to grasp the basic concept that life expectancy is a function of age‘. Euler (1760), in deriving the equation that bears his name, established the mathematical dependence of population growth rate on age-specific birth rates and death rates, and commented that ‗it always comes back to these two principles, that of mortality and that of fertility, which, once they have been established for a certain place, make it easy to resolve all the questions which one could propose. The proposal that population growth rate declines linearly with population density, known as the logistic equation, was put forward by Verhulst (1838). Population growth rate is central to the work of the modern founding fathers of ecology (Lotka 1925; Fisher 1930; Nicholson 1933; Andrewartha & Birch 1954), but the complexities of its dependence on age-specific birth and death rates have until recently prevented thorough examination of the role of population growth rate. With the advent of modern computing and the development of matrix methods for the analysis of life tables, the importance of population growth rate in the study of population ecology is becoming more widely appreciated (Caswell 2001).

Jharkhand is located in Eastern India and covers an area of 79,714 km2. It was carved out of Southern Bihar in 2000 to form a separate state. Jharkhand has 24 administrative districts. Ranchi is the state capital and an industrial city. Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Deoghar, and Hazaribagh are some of the other major cities and industrial areas in the state. Forests and woodlands occupy more than 29 per cent of the state, making it one among the states with greater forest cover. Jharkhand has around 40 per cent of the country‘s mineral resources such as coal, iron ore, copper, uranium, mica, bauxite, granite, limestone, silver, graphite, magnetite, and dolomite. Commonly spoken languages of the state are Hindi and Santhali. Urdu and Bengali are also

The main objectives are as under:

• To analyse the population growth rates at districts level

• To examine the spatial pattern of population growth rates

This paper is utilized as a secondary source data. Data pertaining to growth rates of the population have been collected from the census of India for period 2001 and 2011. Growth rates of population data collected, calculated and tabulated in Microsoft Excel. Standard deviation method is used to measure the disparities in growth rates in Jharkhand. ArcGIS has used a tool to make a thematic map for growth rate during 2001 and 2011.

The population of Jharkhand has increased by about 60 million during the last decade 2001-2011.Although, the net addition in population during the last decade has increased almost the same. The high number of population has increased in Ranchi district followed by such districts Girdih, Palamu, and Hazaribagh while the moderate size of the population has been added in districts likewise Deoghar, Purbi Singhbhum, Dhanbad and Garhwa. Out of 24 districts Simdega, Khunti, Lohardaga, Ramgarh, and Jamtara have contributed low population (table 1.1). It is important that the decadal growth rate of Jharkhand has recorded a decline in -1.01 per cent of population growth rate from 2001 to 2011. It is decreased from 23.35 per cent in 2001 to 22.34 in 2011.

Kodarma district continues to be the highest growth rate of population in Jharkhand with 32.59 per cent. Nine districts now have a growth rate below the Jharkhand average (22.34 per cent). They are as Khunti, Paschim Singhbhum, Jamtara, Dumka, Simdega and Bokaro districts. While Latehar (29.38 per cent), Chatra (28.98), Gardih (28.33), Pakur (24.35), Deoghar (28.02) and Garhwa (27.21 per cent) have scored the top rank in terms of population growth rate ranking in 2011 as compared to 2001 (table 1.2).

'Density of population" is defined as the number of persons per square kilometre. It is an important index of the population which shows the concentration of population in a particular area. The population density of Jharkhand has gone up to 414 persons per square kilometre in 2011 from 338 persons per square kilometre in 2001. The population density of Jharkhand (414) is marginally above the national average (382) as per the 2011 Census. The population densities of 13 states/UT have been returned higher than that of Jharkhand at the 2011 census. The population density for the state as also for the Districts during 2001 & 2011 Censuses is shown in statement below:- Density in Districts:- Change in population density mainly depends on the rate of population growth and the land utilization patterns. Accordingly, the density varies from place to place and from district to district. Dhanbad is the most densely populated (1284), Sahibganj occupies the second rank in the state, and however, Sahibhanj was at 4th position in 2001 Census. Bokaro and Ramgarh were at 2nd and 3rd rank respectively in 2001 Census and are now behind Sahibganj at 3rd and 4th place. Lohardaga and Dumka, as well as Latehar and Gumla, have now exchanged their ranks with each other against their ranks in 2001 Census from 17th to 18th and from 22nd to 23rd. Remaining districts have retained their rank in 2011 Census vis-a-vis in 2001 Census. It is a common phenomenon that the density increases in all districts including the state over the decades on account of the growth of population in every Census while the geographical area remains almost the same. 12 Districts in the state have registered higher population density than the state average of 414. These are Dhanbad, Sahibganj, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Purbi Singhbhum, Godda, Deoghar, Ranchi, Pakur, Giridih, Jamtara, and Kodarma (Population density ranging between 427 and 1284). The highest density of population is in Dhanbad (1284) and the -106- lowest density of districts having ranking akin to 2001 Census.

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Research Scholar, Department of Geography, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana kumarni94@gmail.com