Punjab registers decadal growth of 13.7%

The provisional population numbers released by the Punjab Census Department recently suggest the decadal growth declined to 13.7 per cent during 2001-2011, as against 20.1 per cent during 1991-2001.

The decadal growth for the state is less than that for India (17.6 per cent). According to the provisional data, the state’s population touched 27.7 million, somewhat more than the projected figure of 27.6 million for 2011.

Of the 27.7 million, 14.6 million are males, while 13 million are female. In the 2001 census, the population stood at 20.1 million.

Seema Jain, director, census (Punjab), maintained the sex ratio as well as child sex ratio had increased.

 

The sex ratio (number of females per thousand males) has risen to 893, as against 876 in the 2001 census.

All the 20 districts have witnessed an increase in sex ratio, with exceptions of Mansa and Bhatinda. For the latter, the ratio has declined to 865, as against 870 in the 2001 census.

S C Aggarwal, chief secretary, Government of Punjab, said the reason for the decline in Bhatinda could be a surge in the floating population, thanks to the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery Project being developed by HMEL (a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Lakshmi Mittal group’s Mittal Energy Investment Limited).

Interestingly, Mansa has failed to show any change in the sex ratio, which is the same as that in the previous census (880).

Officials maintained the data would help in demystifying the observation.

The child sex ratio (0-6 years) has increased by 48 points. From 798 in the last census, it has moved to 846 now. The census officials maintained it was heartening to observe that the efforts put in by state government to arrest the decline in child sex ratio were yielding results.

The state seems to gaining on the literacy front too. Literacy has risen to 76 .7 per cent, as against 74 per cent in the 2001 census.

While female literacy has moved up by 7.9 percentage points, male literacy has increased by 6.3 points, further narrowing the gap.