Population zooms up by 23% in the last decade. Two reports on the Census figures
J&K’s population reaches 1,25,48,926
Srinagar: Informing about the population trends in rural and urban areas of Jammu and Kashmir, second part of the Census 2011 is indicative of growing urbanization in the state, and Srinagar city being the highest urbanized district.
There has been a shift in occupational pattern of people in the face of increased urbanization in the state in last decade, the Census reveals.
The percentage of urban population in the state has increased from 24.81 in 2001 to 27.21 in 2011 census, Director Census Operations, Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad Factoo told reporters here while sharing the findings of the Census 2011.
Srinagar, with 12,34,245 people tops the 22 districts in the urban population. It also has the lowest number of rural population with only 15,928 people.
Jammu follows on the second number with 7,57,829 urban population and Anantnag is at third number with 2,78,512 urban people.
The largest rural population is found in the Baramulla district of north Kashmir with 8,40,948 people living in villages followed by Anantnag district of south Kashmir with 7,91,237and Kupwara with 7,76,332 rural populations.
Ramban has the lowest number of urban population with 11,786 people living in the towns. Kargil has 12,753 people living in urban areas.
The number of districts has gone up to 22 from 14, while as number of sub-districts has increased from 59 to 82; number of towns has spiraled to 122 from 79, and number of villages has gone down from 6552 in 2001 census to 6551 in 2011 census, Factoo informed while sharing the findings of the Census 2011.
He also informed that the number of uninhabited villages in the state is 234.
The total population of the state is 1,25,48,926 in which 91,34,820 is rural while 34,14,106 is urban population.
Kashmir Valley has a population of 69.08 lakh while Jammu division has 53.50 lakhs, and Ladakh region accounts for 2.90 lakh population of the state, Factoo informed.
The literacy rate in the state has increased from 55 percent in 2001 Census to 68 percent in the 2011 Census, Director Census said, adding that while state has total literacy rate of 68.74 percent, it is 64.97 and 78.19 percent in rural and urban areas respectively.
The literacy rate among the men is 78.26 percent and among female folk it is 58.01 percent. Literacy rate in rural males is 75.51 percent in urban males it is 84.90; similarly among the rural females literacy rate is 53.36 percent and urban female literacy rate is 70.19 percent, the census data reveals.
The total population in the 0-6 age group is 20,08,642 which is 16.01 percent of total population of the state.
The population in 0-6 age group in rural areas is 15,96,076 while in urban areas it is 4,12,566. The total number of male population in the 0-6 age group is 10,80,662 while as female count in this age group is 9,27,980.
The over-all sex ratio (females per thousand males) in the state is 859; in rural and urban areas it is 850 and 854 respectively.
The sex ratio in the rural areas has shown a downward spiral from 917 in 2001 to 899 in 2011. However, the sex ratio in the urban areas has shown an increase from 819 in 2001 to 840 in 2011.
Leh district in Ladakh region has a shocking sex ratio of just 583, which is a massive drop of 240 from the 2001 census.
Considering the sex ratio, Leh district is ranked 22nd in as many districts in the state. Nearby Kargil district is one rank ahead at 21st position with a ratio of 775, down 62 from 2001 Census.
Kulgam and Shopian districts in south Kashmir have the highest sex ratio of 951, which is 11 more than the national average.
The overall sex ratio in the state caused alarm when it was revealed that number has fallen from 892 to 883 in last 10 years.
Factoo also conceded that the data regarding the sex ratio was a cause of worry as numbers had fallen to the level of 1901.
Joint Director Census, C S Saproo was also present on the occasion.
Sapru also expressed concern about the declining sex ratio (0-6) years in the state, especially in Kashmir Valley. He said the sex ratio in Kupwara district has fallen to 854 from 1221 in 2001 census. Likewise, in Budgam district, the child sex ratio has dropped to 832 as compared to 1004 in 2001.
Census 2011
Srinagar: The provisional population census report reveals 23.71 per cent increase in the population of the state; increase in literacy rate to 68.74; and the decrease in sex ratio from nearly 892 in 2001 to 883 at present.
According to the report released by Director Census Operations Farooq Faktoo this afternoon, the population of the state has increased by 2, 405, 226 persons to 1, 254, 8926—an increase of 23.71 per cent since the 2001 census. It includes 66, 65, 561 men and 58, 83, 365 women with the former having recorded a decadal growth of 24.34 percent and the latter marginally behind at 23.01 per cent.
Jammu district, as revealed by the census, continues to be the most populated district in the state followed by Srinagar and Anantnag. Jammu has a population of around 15, 26,406 while that of Srinagar is 12, 50,173.
Kargil in Kashmir division has, however, emerged as the district with least population. Its population has been recorded at 1, 43, 388.
The figures also reveal that urbanisation has picked up in the past decade. Since 2001, the rural population has shown a growth of 19.77 per cent while the urban populace has increased by 35.66 per cent.
Correspondingly, the percentage of urban populace in the overall population
has increased from 24.81 percent to 27.21. The highest urban population
is in Srinagar district followed by Jammu and Anantnag. Ramban and Kargil have the least urban population.
The highest rural population has been recorded in Baramulla in North Kashmir followed by Anantnag in South. Srinagar, however, has the least rural population.
The report, however, yet again reveals a decline in the state’s sex ratio. According
to the report the state has 883 females per 1000 males, which is significantly
lesser than in 2001.
The state, according to joint director Chander Sapru, is lagging behind Himachal Pradesh in terms of sex ratio.
“Our figures are worse than that of Himachal Pradesh. We are only ahead of Punjab and Haryana,” the joint director, Chander Sapru, told reporters during his presentation.
The decline in the sex ratio generated a serious debate immediately after the release of the first paper of the 2011 census. The separatists as well as civil society members vehemently condemned female foeticide, which was seen as the reason for decline in the ratio.
The report, however, shows the rural districts with slightly better figures than the urban ones.
The sex ratio for rural districts is 899 while that of the urban areas is only 840. The districts that have recoded the best sex ratio figures are Shopian and Kulgam. Both the south Kashmir districts have 951 females per 1000 males.
Srinagar falls at the tenth number with only 878 females per 1000 males. Jammu has 871 females per 1000 males.
The worst sex ration has been recorded in Leh and Kargil, which, however has been traditionally low. The former has a sex ratio of 583 while the latter is slightly better with 775 females per 1000 males.
The state, according to the census report, has a standing child (0 to 6 years) population of 2, 008,642, which includes 1, 080, 662 male and 9, 279, 80 female children.
The child population has underwent an increase of 35.19 per cent since 2001, reveals the report. The number of boys has increased by 41.19 per cent while the increase in case of females is just 28.81 per cent. District Kupwara has the highest child population (1, 96, 983) and Kargil (20, 407) has the least.
Presently, children comprise 16.01 per cent of the total population, which is nearly two per cent better than 14.28 percent in 2001.
The child sex ratio has also come down from 941 in 2001 to 859. Kargil has the best child sex ration, 978, while Samba has the worst, 787.
The state’s literacy rate has witnessed an increase in the literacy rate in the past decade. From 55.52 in 2001, the literacy rate has increased during the decade to 68.74. The increase is seen in both male and female literacy rates. While the former has increased to around 78.26 the latter has a literacy rate recorded at 58.01.
Notably, the rural areas have shown a significant growth in the literacy rate from 49.78 to 64.97 while the urban areas have shown only marginal increase from 71.92 to 78.19. However, Jammu district has recorded the highest literacy rate.
While responding to the queries the director revealed that the number of uninhabited villages in the state has decreased from 281 to 234.
Pertinently the number of districts in the state has in the past decade increased to 22 while the number of sub-districts has increased to 82. The number of towns has increased by 37 while the number of village has gone down by 101.
Introduction to KashmirForum.org Blog
I launched the website and the Blog after having spoken to government officials, political analysts and security experts specializing in South Asian affairs from three continents. The feedback was uniformly consistent. The bottom line is that when Kashmiris are suffering and the world has its own set of priorities, we need to find ways to help each other. We must be realistic, go beyond polemics and demagoguery, and propose innovative ideas that will bring peace, justice and prosperity in all of Jammu and Kashmir.
The author had two reasons to create this blog. First, it was to address the question that was being asked repeatedly, especially, by journalists and other observers in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, inquiring whether the Kashmiri society was concerned about social, cultural and environmental challenges in the valley given that only political upheaval and violence were reported or highlighted by media.
Second, the author has covered the entire spectrum of societal issues and challenges facing Kashmiri people over an 8-year period with the exception of politics given that politics gets all the exposure at the expense of REAL CHALLENGES that will likely result in irreversible degradation in the quality of life and the standard of living for future generations of Kashmiris to come.
The author stopped adding additional material to the Blog once it was felt that most, if not all, concerns, challenges and issues facing the Kashmiri society are cataloged in the Blog. There are over 1900 entries in the Blog and most commentaries include short biographical sketches of authors to bring readers close to the essence of Kashmir. Unfortunately, the 8-year assessment also indicates that neither Kashmiri civil society, nor intellectuals or political leadership have any inclination or enthusiasm in pursuing issues that do not coincide with their vested political agendas. What it means for the future of Kashmiri children and their children is unfathomable. But the evidence is all laid out.
This Blog is a reality check on Kashmir. It is a historical record of how Kashmir lost its way.
Vijay Sazawal, Ph.D.
The author had two reasons to create this blog. First, it was to address the question that was being asked repeatedly, especially, by journalists and other observers in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, inquiring whether the Kashmiri society was concerned about social, cultural and environmental challenges in the valley given that only political upheaval and violence were reported or highlighted by media.
Second, the author has covered the entire spectrum of societal issues and challenges facing Kashmiri people over an 8-year period with the exception of politics given that politics gets all the exposure at the expense of REAL CHALLENGES that will likely result in irreversible degradation in the quality of life and the standard of living for future generations of Kashmiris to come.
The author stopped adding additional material to the Blog once it was felt that most, if not all, concerns, challenges and issues facing the Kashmiri society are cataloged in the Blog. There are over 1900 entries in the Blog and most commentaries include short biographical sketches of authors to bring readers close to the essence of Kashmir. Unfortunately, the 8-year assessment also indicates that neither Kashmiri civil society, nor intellectuals or political leadership have any inclination or enthusiasm in pursuing issues that do not coincide with their vested political agendas. What it means for the future of Kashmiri children and their children is unfathomable. But the evidence is all laid out.
This Blog is a reality check on Kashmir. It is a historical record of how Kashmir lost its way.
Vijay Sazawal, Ph.D.
www.kashmirforum.org
Sunday, October 9, 2011
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1 comment:
excellent job, google has not this much information about the j&k census.. thank you
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