Issue for October - December 2011 - National Institute of Rural ...

The Pattern of the Distribution of Aged Population in Rural Karnataka : A Spatial Analysis 475Among different States of India,Karnataka occupies ninth place with regard topopulation. In 2001 the State has 27 districts,176 Taluks, 745 Hoblis, and 254 Town-cities.MethodologyThe paper covers Karnataka as a whole.District and villages form the units of analysis.The data were analysed at different levelsbased both on the secondary data collectedfrom census office and the primary data, whichare collected by field investigations carried outat the micro level taking 13 sample villages in2002. The sample consisted of 1201 elderlypeople among whom 592 were males and 609females.The selection of sample villages wasmade through random sample on the basis ofsocio, economic, cultural and geographicalfactors and the data were analysed usingdifferent statistical and choropleth techniques.DiscussionThe proportion of aged population is afundamental issue and its disparity is of primeconcern in the analysis of population ageing.The geographer’s task is to analyse thediversity of phenomena in different spatialunits. In this context, the present investigationaims at analysing the spatial pattern of ruralaged population distribution.Spatial Pattern of Aged PopulationDistribution – A District Level Analysis : In 2001,the rural aged population of the Stateamounted to about 8.2 per cent of the totalrural population. But this is 8.8 per cent forfemales and 7.7 per cent for males. Thedistribution of rural aged population is unevenwhen the district-wise figures are noticed(Table 1). Largest proportion of agedpopulation was recorded in Udupi district (11per cent), while lowest proportion was noticedin Raichur (6 per cent).The most striking feature of thedistribution of rural aged population is its highconcentration in the south and coastal regionsof the State and less concentration of agedpopulation in few districts in the north-eastand central part of Karnataka, which isapparent from map 1. It of course needs furtherinvestigation to find out the reasons. On thebasis of distribution of aged population, theState could be divided into three regions(Table 2).1. Areas of high proportion < 9 per cent2. Areas of medium proportion 7-9 per cent3. Areas of low proportion >7 per centJournal of Rural Development, Vol. 30, No. 4, October - December : 2011