Rural–Urban Transition in India: A Perspective on Future Urbanization

By : Shahab Fazal , Md. Kaikubad Ali

Page No: 343-365

Abstract
This paper aims at re-assessing the share of rural-urban population in India, reclassifying the large rural settlements qualifying census defined criteria for urban settlement. These large rural settlements, if the current trend of population growth continues, are subject to get classified as urban in the proceeding censuses. Using secondary data of 2001 and 2011 censuses, it analyzes the number, distribution and density among the large villages which hold one fourth of India’s rural population; and explores the resultant variation if these large villages were classified as urban. The study reveals that half of the Indian population lives in smaller towns and large villages having similar demographic and socio-economic characteristics. This will raise the share of urban population up to 44.17 per cent against census proclamation of 31.16 per cent in 2011. Drawing attention of the policy makers and planners, this paper suggests that targeting large villages and promoting them to urban category through channelizing developmental plans will improve economic and social wellbeing of the population.

Authors :
Shahab Fazal : Professor, Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
Md. Kaikubad Ali : UGC – JRF, Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/ATNAGI.2018.38.02.11