Demographic Change and Urbanization in India with reference to Empowered Action Group (EAG) States: Some comments on socio-demographic development and policy implications

Empowered Action Group (EAG) states constitute 45.9 % share of India’s total population, where Uttar Pradesh secures highest rank and Uttarakhand the lowest among the EAG states. The objectives of this paper, to examine the demographic changes of population and level of urbanization in EAG states based on the secondary sources of data like: Census of India and Sample Registration System (SRS). It is to analyze patterns of population growth, birth and death rate, age-sex structure, literacy differential index in EAG states. The population growth and demographic structure are determined by variation in process of fertility, mortality, migration and age composition. The demographic characteristics of the EAG states are their high fertility rate, IMR, MMR, high population growth rate, low literacy rate. Based on 2011 census, the economically developed states more or less show higher levels of urbanization as compared to EAG states followed by Bihar (11.3 %), Orissa (16.6 %). But it is observed that among the eight EAG states, only two states have highest annual exponential growth rate (AEGR) i.e. Uttarakhand (3.5%) and Chhattisgarh (3.49%) in this decade. It also notably that, there was no negative AEGR recorded in 2001-2011. These states show a steady decline in fertility, low reproductive health of women and the relatively slower rise in contraceptive use. In the EAG states, concerted efforts are required to improve the education, health facilities, sanitation, urbanization and income etc.