Question

Answer the following question in about 150 words.

Give an account of the occupational structure of India’s population.

Answer 1

According to their economic status, the population of India is divided into three groups: main workers, marginal workers, and non-workers. It is observed that in India, the proportion of workers (both main and marginal) is only 39% (2001), leaving a vast majority of 61% as non-workers. This indicates an economic status with a larger proportion of the dependent population, suggesting the possible presence of a large number of unemployed or underemployed people.

The occupational composition of India’s population (which refers to an individual’s engagement in farming, manufacturing, trade, services, or other professional activities) shows a large proportion of primary-sector workers compared with those in the secondary and tertiary sectors. About 58.2% of the total working population are cultivators and agricultural labourers, 4.2% are engaged in household industries, and 37.6% are other workers, including those in non-household industries, trade, commerce, construction, repair, and other occupations. services. As far as the occupation of the country’s male and female populations is concerned, male workers outnumber female workers in all three sectors. The number of female workers is relatively high in the primary sector, though in recent years, there has been some improvement in women’s labour force participation in the secondary and tertiary sectors.

The participation rate in the secondary and tertiary sectors has increased. This indicates a shift in workers’ dependence from farm-based occupations to non-farm-based ones, reflecting a sectoral shift in the country’s economy. The spatial variation in the work participation rate across sectors in the country is very wide. For instance, states like Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland have very large shares of their populations who are cultivators. On the other hand, states such as Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh have a higher proportion of agricultural labourers. Highly urbanised areas such as Delhi, Chandigarh and Puducherry have a very large proportion of workers engaged in other services.