DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION AND AGEING OF THE POPULATIONS: A STUDY OF INDIA AND ITS MAJOR STATES

Traditionally the progress in the demographic transition is studied by the indicators CBR and CDR. Attempts were made later on to represent the demographic transition by means of an index called the demographic transition index. Total fertility rate (TFR) and Life Expectancy at Birth (LEB) were used in constructing the above index. In the present paper an attempt has been made to develop new indices for studying the inter-linkages between the demographic transition and the ageing of the population by using the age specific fertility rates (ASFRs), natural log of Age specific death rates (ASDRs) and age distribution of population. The present indices have been developed using the statistical concept the index of qualitative variation (IQV) given in Chava and Anna (2011) "Social Statistics for Diverse Society." It is realised that this IQV helps in understanding the diversity taking place in the phenomena of fertility, mortality and overall population distribution over time. Data reported by the Sample Registration System (SRS) of India and its States over the years 1970s to 2010 has been used in understanding the inter-linkages among the above three phenomena. The indices seems to GIVE acceptable results and easy to compute and understand.