World Population Day 2023

World Population Day is commemorated every year on July 11th to raise awareness and educate individuals about the challenges and consequences associated with global population growth. It serves as a reminder to continuously work towards addressing these issues and improving the lives of everyone on the planet. The observance of World Population Day aims to promote understanding and encourage collective efforts in tackling the impacts of population growth.

World Population Day 2023-Theme:

According to United Nations, the theme for this year’s World Population Day is – Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities.

World Population Day 2023  - Significance:

Every year on July 11, the World Population Day event plays a significant role in bringing attention to concerns related to the world population. This day highlights the issues brought on by population growth, including poverty, a lack of food and water, environmental damage, and overburdened healthcare systems. It acts as a reminder for people, groups, and organisations, as well as for governments, to solve these urgent issues.  With the goal of building a world where every individual has a developing future full of promises, potential, and opportunities, the United Nations focuses on commemorating the day. In line with Agenda 2030's Sustainable Goals, it also seeks to build a sustainable future for everyone.

World Population Day 2023-History:

Dr K.C. Zachariah suggested celebrating this day when the world reached 5 billion population on July 11, 1987. The United Nations Development Programme’s Governing Council established World Population Day in 1989, inspired by the Day of Five Billion observed on July 11, 1987. In 1990, the United Nations General Assembly, through Resolution 45/216, decided to continue celebrating World Population Day to raise awareness about population issues and their interconnection with the environment and development.

Outgrowth

The Outgrowth is a viable unit such as a village or a hamlet or an enumeration block and clearly identifiable in terms of its boundaries and location. While determining the Outgrowth of a town, it has been ensured that it possesses the urban features in terms of infrastructure and amenities such as pucca roads, electricity, taps, drainage system for disposal of waste water, etc. educational institutions, post offices, medical facilities, banks, etc. and physically contiguous with the core town of the Urban Agglomeration. 

On the basis of above criteria, in 2011 Census a total of 474 Urban Agglomerations were identified against 384 in the preceding Census (i.e., 2001 Census). Similarly, a total of 981 Outgrowths was identified in 2011 Census, against 960 in 2001 Census.

Census Town and Statutory Town

 The definition of a town is as follows: 

(a) All places which have been notified under law and have local bodies like municipal corporations, municipalities, municipal committees, municipal boards, municipal town committees, cantonment boards, notified areas, notified area committees, town committees, town areas, town boards, town municipalities, sanitary boards, nagar panchayats, etc., irrespective of their demographic characteristics. 

(b) All other places which satisfied the following criteria: 

(i) A minimum population of 5,000 (All villages having a population of 4000 or more at the Census 2001 were identified). 

(ii) At least 75 per cent of the male main working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits (while applying this criterion, the workers engaged in the agricultural activities, namely (a) Cultivators, (b) Agricultural Labourers and (c) Plantation, Livestock, Forestry, Fishing, Hunting and allied activities were excluded for computing the percentage of workers engaged in non-agricultural pursuits). 

 (iii) A density of population of at least 400 per sq. km. (villages that satisfied the above two criteria and had a density of 400 persons per sq. km. were classified as Census Towns).

The units that fall under category (a) above are designated as “Statutory Towns” and those in category (b) are designated as “Census Towns”. In Census 2011, a total of 7,933 towns were identified. The corresponding number in Census 2001 was 5,161. Out of these, as many as 4,041 were designated as Statutory Towns and 3,892 were designated as Census Towns. The corresponding numbers in Census 2001 was 3,799 and 1,362 respectively.  

Statutory Town

As per the Census of India 2011, the Statutory Town is defined as all the towns/ places having a municipality, corporation, cantonment board or notified town area committee, etc.

Example: Bankura, Durgapur, Barddhaman, Howrah, Kolkata, Naihati, etc.

Statutory towns are urban areas declared by the state or central government and governed by the ULBs. These towns include municipality, corporation, cantonment board or notified town area committee. 

Outgrowths

According to the Census of India 2011, ‘Out Growths’ (OG) is a viable unit such as a village or a hamlet or an enumeration block made up of such village or hamlet and identifiable in terms of its boundaries and location.

While determining the outgrowth of a town, it has been ensured that it possesses the urban features in terms of infrastructure and amenities such as pucca roads, electricity, taps, drainage system for disposal of wastewater, etc. educational institutions, post offices, medical facilities, banks, etc. and physically contiguous with the core town of the UA.

Examples: Central Railway Colony (OG), Triveni Nagar (N.E.C.S.W.) (OG), etc.

Each such town together with its outgrowth(s) is treated as an integrated urban area and is designated as an ‘urban agglomeration’.

Urban Agglomeration

As per the Census of India 2011, an urban agglomeration is a continuous urban spread constituting a town and its adjoining outgrowths (OGs), or two or more physically contiguous towns together with or without outgrowths of such towns.

An Urban Agglomeration must consist of at least one statutory town and its total population (i.e., all the constituents put together) should not be less than 20,000 as per the 2001 Census. In varying local conditions, there were similar other combinations that have been treated as urban agglomerations satisfying the basic condition of contiguity.

Examples: Greater Mumbai UA, Delhi UA, etc.

Census Towns

All Administrative units that have been defined by statute as  urban like Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, Contonment Boards, Notified Town Area Committee, Town Panchayats, Nagar Palika  etc. are known as Statutory Town. Further Statutory Towns with population of  1,00,000 and above are categorized as cities.

All other places which satisfied the following criteria.

• a minimum population of 5,000,
• at least 75% of the male main working force engaged in non-agricultural activities and
• population density of at least 400 persons per sq.km.

As per 2011 Census, there are 3,784 Census Towns as against 1,362 in 2001.