In 2023, the annual population growth in India was 0.88 percent. Between 1961 and 2023, the figure dropped by 1.52 percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

The share of projected population increase in Uttar Pradesh, India from 2011 until 2036 is expected to grow by nearly ** percent. By contrast, the estimated population increase in Uttarakhand is expected to be less than *** percent during the same time period.

Why project population?
Population projections for a country are becoming increasingly important now than ever before. They are used primarily by government policy makers and planners to better understand and gauge future demand for basic services that predominantly include water, food and energy. In addition, they also support in indicating major movements that may affect economic development and in turn, employment and labour productivity. Consequently, this leads to amending policies in order to better adapt to the needs of society and to various circumstances.

Demographic projections and health interventions Demographic figures serve the foremost purpose of improving health and health related services among the population. Some of the government interventions include antenatal and neonatal care with the aim of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity rates. In addition, it also focuses on improving immunization coverage across the country. Further, demographic estimates help in better preempting the needs of growing populations, such as the geriatric population within a country.

Life in contemporary cities is often dangerous for stray cats, with strikingly low survival rates. In several countries, trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs have been employed to control urban stray cat populations. Management of stray cats in urban environments is not just about applying scientific solutions, but also identifying approaches that align with local cultural and ethical values. India has an estimated 9.1 million stray cats. TNR presents as a potential method for stray cat management in India, while also improving their welfare. Yet, to date, there has been no academic exploration on Indian residents’ attitudes towards stray cats. We conducted a survey in 13 cities in India reaching 763 residents, examining interactions with stray cats, negative and positive attitudes towards them, attitudes towards managing their population, and awareness of TNR. Results show a high rate of stray cat sightings and interactions. While most respondents believed that stray cats had a right to welfare, the majority held negative attitudes towards and had negative interactions with them. There was widespread lack of awareness about TNR, but, when described, there was a high degree of support. Gathering insights into opinions about stray cats, and the sociodemographic factors that impact these opinions, is an important first step to developing policies and initiatives to manage stray cat populations.

According to latest figures, the Chinese population decreased by 1.39 million to around 1.408 billion people in 2024. After decades of rapid growth, China arrived at the turning point of its demographic development in 2022, which was earlier than expected. The annual population decrease is estimated to remain at moderate levels until around 2030 but to accelerate thereafter. Population development in China China had for a long time been the country with the largest population worldwide, but according to UN estimates, it has been overtaken by India in 2023. As the population in India is still growing, the country is very likely to remain being home of the largest population on earth in the near future. Due to several mechanisms put into place by the Chinese government as well as changing circumstances in the working and social environment of the Chinese people, population growth has subsided over the past decades, displaying an annual population growth rate of -0.1 percent in 2024. Nevertheless, compared to the world population in total, China held a share of about 17 percent of the overall global population in 2024. China's aging population In terms of demographic developments, the birth control efforts of the Chinese government had considerable effects on the demographic pyramid in China. Upon closer examination of the age distribution, a clear trend of an aging population becomes visible. In order to curb the negative effects of an aging population, the Chinese government abolished the one-child policy in 2015, which had been in effect since 1979, and introduced a three-child policy in May 2021. However, many Chinese parents nowadays are reluctant to have a second or third child, as is the case in most of the developed countries in the world. The number of births in China varied in the years following the abolishment of the one-child policy, but did not increase considerably. Among the reasons most prominent for parents not having more children are the rising living costs and costs for child care, growing work pressure, a growing trend towards self-realization and individualism, and changing social behaviors.

In the fiscal year of 2024, around *** million people across India were covered under health insurance schemes. Of these, the highest number of people were insured under ******************** health insurance schemes, while********************* plans had the lowest number of people. Key figures of public health insurance The gross direct premium income of the Indian health insurance industry was about *** billion Indian rupees in financial year 2021. Public health insurance recorded the highest premium income of over *** billion Indian rupees that year, with the highest share of premiums written in the western state of Maharashtra. The healthcare system India has a decentralized approach to health care and that allows health insurance to be optional. Technically, all citizens are eligible for free healthcare at government facilities, and individual states are responsible for organizing these services. However, the country’s health system is severely underfunded in terms of staff as well as supply shortages. A vast number of people seek care from private providers. Over ** percent of the total healthcare expenditure in the country was from out-of-pocket expenses in fiscal year 2020.

Abstract

To take care of the limitations of the earlier Time Use Studies in India and to meet the new emerging data requirements, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, therefore, conducted a pilot Time Use Survey in 18620 households spread over six selected states , namely, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya during the period July, 1998 to June, 1999.

Following were the main objectives of this survey:

1. To develop a conceptual framework and a suitable methodology for designing and conducting time use studies in India on a regular basis. Also, to evolve a methodology to estimate labour force/work force in the country and to estimate the value of unpaid work in the economy in a satellite account.

2. To infer policy/programme implications from the analysis of the data on (a) distribution of paid and unpaid work among men and women in rural and urban areas, (b) nature of unpaid work of women including the drudgery of their work and (c) sharing of household work by men and women for gender equity.

3. To analyze the time use pattern of the individuals to understand the nature of their work so as to draw inference for employment and welfare programmes for them.

4. To analyze the data of the time use pattern of the specific section of the population such as children and women to draw inferences for welfare policies for them.

5. To collect and analyze the time use pattern of people in the selected states in India in order to have a comprehensive information about the time spent by people on marketed and non-marketed economic activities covered under the 1993-SNA, non marketed non-SNA activities covered under the General Production Boundary and on personal care and related activities that cannot be delegated to others.

6. To use the data in generating more reliable estimates on work force and national income as per 1993 SNA, and in computing the value of unpaid work through separate satellite account,

Keeping in view the importance of the survey for India and our specific socio-economic situation similar to other developing countries, this survey was conducted using own financial, technical and manpower resources. Moreover, to ensure capacity building for conducting such surveys on a regular basis, this survey was conducted by utilizing the official statistical system machinery.

Geographic coverage

Six States and their Urban and Rural area

Analysis unit

Households

Universe

All residential Households of Six States.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sampling design adopted in the survey was three stage stratified design. The first, second and third stages were the district, villages/urban blocks and households. Proper stratification of the districts in the selected states were done using the population density and proportion of tribal population to ensure capturing of the variability in the population. In the villages/urban blocks also sub-stratification was adopted to ensure representation of all types of households in the Survey.

The total number of households covered in the sample was 18,628 planned. The total sample size of 18,628 households were first distributed in proportion to the total number of estimated households as per the 1993-94 survey of the National Sample Survey Organisation. No. of first stage units (villages and sample blocks) were determined using the initial sample size to be allocated to each state and by assuming that in each f.s.u. , 12 households will be surveyed. The number of f.s.u. so arrived at was adjusted to be multiple of 8 as atleast 2 f.s.u. each may be covered in 4 sub-rounds.

Selection of villages : All the villages in the selected district were grouped in 3 categories namely large (population above 1200), medium (population between 400 to 1200) and small(population less than 400) . The total rural sample was distributed in three stratum in proportion to the population in the three stratum. In case any stratum was not applicable in a particular district, the allocated sample was distributed in the remaining stratum only. If more than one village was to be selected in the particular stratum , then villages-were selected using circular systematic sampling with probability proportional to the population. If all the three strata were present then minimum sample size allotted in each stratum was 2.

Selection of urban sample blocks : All the towns in the selected district were grouped in 3 categories namely large(population more than 2 lakhs), medium(population between 50000 to 2 lakhs) and small (population less than 50000) . The total urban sample was distributed in three stratum in proportion to the population in the three stratum. In case any stratum was not applicable in a particular district, the allocated sample was distributed in the remaining stratum only. If more than one sample block was to be selected in the particular stratum, then ufs blocks in each of the towns were presented by investigator unit and ufs blocks no. The requisite number of ufs blocks were then selected by using circular systematic sampling with equal probability. If all the three strata were present then minimum sample size allocated in each stratum was 2 due to this, in some cases, overall urban sample size allotted in a particular district might have increased.

As no previous survey was conducted on this topic and methodologies to be used were not firmed up, it was decided to conduct this survey on a pilot basis. However, to ensure the use of data collected in the pilot survey also, a proper sampling procedure was followed.

Refer the attached document named 'Report' attached under external resource

Sampling deviation

There was no deviation from the original sample deviation.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The final questionnaire used in the survey was evolved after a number of discussion with the academic experts and the practising survey statisticians. The final questionnaire consisted of following three parts: i. Schedule 0.1: Listing Questionnaire for the Rural Areas ii. Schedule 0.2: Listing Questionnaire for the Urban Areas iii. Schedule 0.3: Household Questionnaire which consist of following Blocks

(a) Block 0: Identification of Sample Households (b) Block 1: Household Characteristics (c) Block 2: Particulars of Household Members (d) Block 3: Time Disposition of Persons on Selected Days of the Week

A copy of the questionnaire is attached as external resource

Cleaning operations

The date entry and validation work of the Survey was handled by the States for which data entry and validation packages were supplied by the Central Statistical Organization. A Workshop was also organized to sort out the various problems faced by the States in the use of these packages. For evolving the data entry and validation package, the help of Data Processing Division of the National Sample Survey Organization was taken. The validated data was sent by States to the CSO and the final processing of the data was done by the Computer Centre of the Department. In spite of severe problem faced ion the operation of main-frame computer at the Computer Center, data processing work of the Survey completed by the end of November, 99.

Response rate

The total number of households covered in the sample was 18.591 as against 18,620 originally planned. 68 % of the households was in rural areas. Therefore, the non-response at 0.1 % was negligible.

Sampling error estimates

The standard error estimates may be calculated on the basis of sub-sample wise estimates of stratum totals.

For Detail refere to Page no 18 of the Report of The Time Use Survey 1998.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was a great economist of modern India. He was a great son of Mother India. He is well known as the architect of the Indian Constitution. He excelled in various disciplines, from jurisprudence, sociology, political science to anthropology and comparative theology, and gained scholarly recognition. ‘He was also recognized as a great social reformer, human rights activist, savior of the downtrodden, academician, MP, and journalist.’ Although agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, it has not been able to provide a secure livelihood for the majority of the population. Despite the ability of Indian agriculture to feed one-third of the Indian population, agriculture has not progressed. Dr. Land reform, land fragmentation, and partition are important issues in Ambedkar's economic thinking. In order to solve the problems of creation in the case of Indian agriculture, Dr. Ambedkar introduced land consolidation, collective farming, etc. Similar measures are stated. Dr. Ambedkar had emphasized the nationalization of agriculture to solve the problems related to agriculture. ‘Nationalization of agriculture will eliminate economic slavery and help create an economically prosperous state. Practicing community farming will help increase productivity in agriculture. It will help in increasing the efficiency of the workers and agricultural laborers and their economic development. By raising the living standards of the farmers, they will get economic prosperity. 'All the above thoughts are important and shed light on the country's economy. Without the industrialization of agriculture, the problem of landless laborers will not be solved, said Dr. Ambedkar had an opinion. The separation of industries from agriculture is dangerous for the economy. The problem of farmers will be solved only if the agro-processing industries are expanded along with agriculture. "Industrialization, especially in rural areas, as well as improved agriculture will be used to provide employment to the workers of the country," he said. Ambedkar always thought so. Dr. Ambedkar has treated various questions of agriculture from an economic point of view. Not only sound education but his alertness and dedication too are most required.

In the financial year 2024, India’s insurance penetration stood at *** percent, with the majority coming from the ************** sector. The growth in penetration over the last five years is a positive sign for the overall development and maturity of the insurance market in India. Life insurance in India Income and employment stability, awareness and education, accessibility to insurance services, and government policies have played a crucial role in shaping the landscape of life insurance in India over the last two decades. In the financial year 2022, approximately ** million new policies were issued by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) - a public sector insurer. Indian insurers had written a total life insurance premium amounting to **** trillion Indian rupees in the same fiscal year. Non-life insurance in India A non-life insurance or general insurance policy covers property, businesses, and individuals and it provides coverage for damages on an indemnity basis. In recent years, an increasing trend has been seen in the number of non-life insurance policies sold in India. This can be attributed to increased demand and awareness for health and motor insurance, higher disposable income, more transactions in fire, marine, and export credit segments, and the introduction of new and customizable non-life insurance products.

As of July 2024, **** percent of the Malaysian population were classified as Bumiputera, **** percent were classified as ethnic Chinese, and *** percent as ethnic Indians. Those who do not fall under these three main ethnic groups are classified as ‘Other’. Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society with three main ethnicities and language groups. Who are Malaysia’s Bumiputera? Bumiputera, meaning sons of the soil, is a term used to categorize the Malays, as well as the indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, also known as orang asli, and the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak. As of July 2023, the Bumiputera share of the population in Sabah was ** percent, while that in Sarawak was **** percent. Thus, the incorporation of the states of Sabah and Sarawak during the formation of Malaysia ensured that the ethnic Malays were able to maintain a majority share of the Malaysian population. Bumiputera privileges and ethnic-based politics The rights and privileges of the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak are enshrined in Article 153 of Malaysia’s constitution. This translated, in practice, to a policy of affirmative action to improve the economic situation of this particular group, through the New Economic Policy introduced in 1971. 50 years on, it is questionable whether the policy has achieved its aim. Bumiputeras still lag behind the other ethnic two major groups in terms of monthly household income. However, re-thinking this policy will certainly be met by opposition from those who have benefitted from it.

In the century between Napoleon's defeat and the outbreak of the First World War (known as the "Pax Britannica"), the British Empire grew to become the largest and most powerful empire in the world. At its peak in the 1910s and 1920s, it encompassed almost one quarter of both the world's population and its land surface, and was known as "the empire on which the sun never sets". The empire's influence could be felt across the globe, as Britain could use its position to affect trade and economies in all areas of the world, including many regions that were not part of the formal empire (for example, Britain was able to affect trading policy in China for over a century, due to its control of Hong Kong and the neighboring colonies of India and Burma). Some historians argue that because of its economic, military, political and cultural influence, nineteenth century Britain was the closest thing to a hegemonic superpower that the world ever had, and possibly ever will have. "Rule Britannia" Due to the technological and logistical restrictions of the past, we will never know the exact borders of the British Empire each year, nor the full extent of its power. However, by using historical sources in conjunction with modern political borders, we can gain new perspectives and insights on just how large and influential the British Empire actually was. If we transpose a map of all former British colonies, dominions, mandates, protectorates and territories, as well as secure territories of the East India Trading Company (EIC) (who acted as the precursor to the British Empire) onto a current map of the world, we can see that Britain had a significant presence in at least 94 present-day countries (approximately 48 percent). This included large territories such as Australia, the Indian subcontinent, most of North America and roughly one third of the African continent, as well as a strategic network of small enclaves (such as Gibraltar and Hong Kong) and islands around the globe that helped Britain to maintain and protect its trade routes. The sun sets... Although the data in this graph does not show the annual population or size of the British Empire, it does give some context to how Britain has impacted and controlled the development of the world over the past four centuries. From 1600 until 1920, Britain's Empire expanded from a small colony in Newfoundland, a failing conquest in Ireland, and early ventures by the EIC in India, to Britain having some level of formal control in almost half of all present-day countries. The English language is an official language in all inhabited continents, its political and bureaucratic systems are used all over the globe, and empirical expansion helped Christianity to become the most practiced major religion worldwide. In the second half of the twentieth century, imperial and colonial empires were eventually replaced by global enterprises. The United States and Soviet Union emerged from the Second World War as the new global superpowers, and the independence movements in longstanding colonies, particularly Britain, France and Portugal, gradually succeeded. The British Empire finally ended in 1997 when it seceded control of Hong Kong to China, after more than 150 years in charge. Today, the United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries, and it is responsible for three crown dependencies and fourteen overseas territories, although the legacy of the British Empire can still be seen, and it's impact will be felt for centuries to come.