City and Urbanization

Urbanization is a socio-e confidence gameomic process by which an increasing counterpoise of the population of an area becomes conpennyrated into the towns and cities. The term is also defined as the level of population concentration in urban areas. The proc ess of urbanization increases both the number and size of towns and cities. Urbanization is the most material phenomenon of the twentieth deoxycytidine monophosphate which has almost affected all aspects of the national life in India. cosmos the second most populous country in the world afterward China Indias fast growing urbaniza tion has a regional as rise as world- ide impact.Indias urban population constitutes a sizeable pro role of the worlds urban population. This can be well corroborated from the fact that every twelfth city dweller of the world and every 7th of the developing countries is the Indian. India has as legion(predicate) small towns (population 20,000-49,999) as in the United States as many as medium towns (population 50,000 99,999) as in the former Soviet meat as many cities (population 100,000-499,999) as in the United States and as many metropolises (population+500,OOO) as in Australia, France and Brazil combined.India has a long radition of urbanization which has move since the days of the Indus Valley civilization. According to an estimate the percentage share of urban population to total popu lation was higher in the last part of the seventeenth century in comparison to the last part of the 19th century. The breeding of cottage industries and tertiary ac tivities during the medieval period helped in the growing of about 3,200 towns and 120 cities in the country around 1586 A. D. (Raza, M, 1985, p. 60).The damage to this autochthonous industrial structure during the colonialism gave a serious blow to the process of urbanization. The root of the existing process of urbanization lie in Western shape of factory industries which started developing in the country during t he early part of the 20th century. Urbanization, in India, can be studied through Census info provided at a regular interval of 10 age since 1881 aheads. These data help us in analyzing the crooks of growth in the urban popula tion, decennial increase, and urbanization and number towns during the 20th century.At the time of the reliable Census taken in 1881 the urban population contributed 9. 3 per cent of the total population of the country. The growth- tendency was irksome and even negative in some decades (1911-21) due to outbreak of plaguey (plague) and natural calamities, trend of slow growth in urbanization act unto 1931. The decade 1931-41 observed about 32 cent growth in the urban population which increase its share in total population to 14. 1 percent. The growth trend was further accelerated during the following decade which witnessed a decennial growth of 41. 2 per cent (Table 28. II) Raising the percentage share to 14. 1 . Here rehabilitation of refugees from Pak istan into cities played a significant role. During 1951-61 the growth trend as slowed down (26. 4 per cent) which contributed marginal increase (percent) in the urbanization ratio. It was due to change in the definition of urban places and declassification of 803 towns in 1961 Census. Since 1961 onward there has been steep rise in the urban population and urbanization ratio so as to reach its highest point during 1971-81 (decadal growth beingness 46. 2 percent and addition of record number of 900 new towns). This was the superlative degree point in the urban growth of the country during the 20th century. The trend ot growth nas been slightly slowed down during 1981-91 (39. 32 per cent) and 1991-2001 (31. 8 per cent) which is a national of serious study by urban geographers and urban sociologists. Causes may be many folds including increasing pollution, decreasing opportunities of employment and liveli hood in urban areas and development of new sources of livelihood in agrarian areas to reduce the attend of rural migrants.Above description leads us to conclude that during the last 90 years of the 20th century the number of towns has increased by 144. 6 per cent? urban population by 140,23 per cent, and urbaniza tion ratio by 133,6 per cent. Industrialization con comitant with economic development and rural o urban migration has made significant contribution towards this phenomenal growth. But compared with developed countries this rate of urbanisation is slake slower. Wulker has rightly observed that while in Western countries urbanization is expanding towards rural areas but in India rural life is influencing the urban areas.