Social Studies 7

policies for SAARC; it reviews progress of cooperation and decides on
new areas of cooperation. The Council is mandated to meet twice a year.

3. Standing Committee: SAARC Standing Committee comprises Foreign
Secretaries of Member States. This Committee takes decisions relating to
overall monitoring and coordination of programmes under different areas.

4. Technical Committees: Technical Committees include representatives of
member states. It implements, coordinates and monitors the programmes
in their respective areas of cooperation. There are six such committees to
work in their respective areas: Technical Committee on Agriculture and
Rural Development, Technical Committee on Health and Population Ac-
tivities, Technical Committee on Women, Youth and Children, Technical
Committee on Science and Technology, Technical Committee on Trans-
port and Technical Committee on Environment.

5. SAARC Secretariat: The SAARC Secretariat was established in
Kathmandu on 16 January 1987. It was inaugurated by the late King
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah. The Secretariat is headed by the SAARC Secretary
General. The Secretary General is appointed by the Council of Ministers
from member countries on a rotational basis according to alphabetical order.
Secretary General’s term lasts for three years. Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed
was Secretary General until January 2012. Ahmed Saleem of Maldives
succeeded her after she resigned. Arjun Bahadur Thapa of Nepal remained in
the office as Secretary General from March 2014 to February 2017. The present
Secretary General is Amjad Hussain B. Sial from Pakistan. Secretariat
coordinates and monitors implementation of activities. It organizes
meetings and serves as a channel of communication between SAARC and its
member states.

Regional Centers

The SAARC Secretariat is supported by Regional Centers established in
Member States. These Centers are managed by Governing Boards comprising
representatives from all the Member States, SAARC Secretary-General and the
Ministry of Foreign/External Affairs of the host country. There are following
regional centers.

• SAARC Agricultural Centre (SAC), Dhaka

• SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC), Dhaka

• SAARC Tuberculosis Centre (STC), Kathmandu

• SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC), New Delhi

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 201

• SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC), Islamabad
• SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC), the Maldives
• SAARC Information Centre (SIC), Nepal
• SAARC Energy Centre (SEC), Pakistan
• SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC), India
• SAARC Development Fund (SDF), Bhutan
• SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC), Bhutan

• SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Sri Lanka

Observer Member Nations

Currently, Australia, China, European Union, Japan, Iran, Mauritius, Myanmar,
South Korea and United States are observer nations of SAARC. Russia has also
expressed interests to become an observer nation.

SAARC Summits

SAARC summits are held every year. So far SAARC has held eighteen summits.
The first summit was held in Bangladesh. The seventeenth summit was held
in Addu Atol of the Maldives. The Eighteenth summit was held in Nepal
in November 2014. Nineenth Summit was stated to be held in Pakistan in
November 2016. However, with the rising diplomatic tensions it was postponed
indefinitely.

Free the Words

cooperation : help between one and other
incorporation : including one or two things into a single body
summit : meeting of heads of government
narcotic drug : drug that produces numbness or stupor
psychotropic : affecting mind and mental process

In-class Activities

Choose a day during when you study lesson 1, 2, 3 in this unit. On that day,
select 8 students among yourselves to represent each SAARC member nation.
Then, hold a mock SAARC Summit. During the summit, each representative
presents what kind of cooperation and help his or her nation needs from other
members. Based on each representative’s presentation, prepare a joint resolution
stating how SAARC can work to meet the needs of each member nation.

202 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Exercise

1. Match the following Kathmandu, Nepal
Secretary General SAARC Tuberculosis Centre
Meeting held every year head of SAARC Secretariat
SAARC regional centre Summit
Eighteenth summit

2. Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the above text.

a. There are ….................. countries in the SAARC.
b. …................comprises of foreign secretaries of the member states.
c. SAARC regional centres are managed by ….................. .
d. …................is willing to become SAARC observer nation.

e. First SAARC summit was held in …................. .

3. Answer the following questions in brief.
a. When was the SAARC established? What was its main objective?
b. What does the Standing Committee do?
c. List three functions of the SAARC Technical Committee.
d. Write about the process of appointment of General Secretary in the
SAARC.
e. How many SAARC Summits have been held till date?

4. What do you think are the functions of the SAARC Agricultural Centre,
Meteorological Research Centre and Tuberculosis Centre? Discuss and
write.

5. Imagine that you are a SAARC Secretary General. What proposal
would you forward in the upcoming 18th summit supposed to be held
in Pakistan?

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 203

Lesson SAARC Secretariat
and Its Functions
8.2

Pre-reading Activities

There might be certain clubs or organizations around your school. Find out what
activities they carry out.

Reading

After the establishment of the South
Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) on 8th December
1985 in Dhaka, its member countries
felt the need of a permanent office of
the Secretary General. So, the SAARC
Secretariat was established in January 1987 in Nepal. It is located at Thamel,
Kathmandu. The major functions of the SAARC Secretariat are as follows:

• To coordinate the SAARC activities and supervise their implementation.

• To assist in the meeting and conferences of the SAARC bodies.

• To keep official records of the decisions made in SAARC summits.

• To work as the medium of communication between SAARC and other
international organizations.

The Secretary General, director on behalf of each member country and the

office staff constitute the secretariat. The Secretary General is appointed by

the decision of SAARC Council of Ministers for a tenure of three years from

the member countries in alphabetical order. The list of the SAARC Secretary

Generals is given below in order.

1. Abdul Ahasan (Bangladesh) 2. Kant Kishore Bhargav (India)

3. Ibrahim Hussein Zaki (Maldives) 4. Yadav Kant Silwal (Nepal)

5. Naeem U. Hasan (Pakistan) 6. Nihal Rodrigo (Sri Lanka)

7. Quari Alam Mahammad Altaf Rahim (Bangladesh)

8. Chenkyab Dorji (Bhutan) 9. Sheel Kant Sharma (India)

204 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

10. Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed (Maldives) 11. Ahmed Saleem (Maldives)

12. Arjun Bahadur Thapa (Nepal) 13. Amjad Hussain B. Sial (Pakistan)

The newest member since 2008 SAARC Summit Afghanistan has not sent its
representative to be the Secretary General till now.

Free the Words

coordinate : to facilitate proper order or relationship
conference : a meeting for consultation and discussion
tenure : the period or term of holding a post or office

In-class Activities

Get into small groups and identify an area in which SAARC nations
can cooperate with each other. Explain why you think this area is most
important.

Exercise

1. Answer the following questions.
a. When was the SAARC Secretariat established?
b. Which is the newest member of the SAARC?
c. Who is the former Secretary General of the SAARC from Nepal?
d. How is the SAARC secretariat constituted?
e. Where is the office of the SAARC Secretariat located?

2. Fill in the blanks.
a. The Secretary General is appointed for a tenure of ……………... .
b. ………………….. was established on 8th December 1985 AD.
c. The Secretary General is appointed from the member countries in
………………….. order.
d. The permanent office of the Secretary General is called …………. .
e. ………………….. has not sent its representative to be the Secretary
General of the SAARC.

3. Write the major functions of the SAARC Secretariat.
4. Make a list of the member countries of the SAARC with their capital

cities. You can consult the Atlas.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 205

Lesson SAARC and Nepal

8.3

Pre-reading Activities

Find some newspapers published in the month of November 2014. Select a news
item related to 18th SAARC Summit held in Kathmandu. Discuss what points
about SAARC the news highlights.

Reading

Our country has played
an important role in
the SAARC since the

Free the Wbheaogdrindpnslianyge.dInafavcitt,aNl erpoalel

in the formation of the
SAARC. The idea of
regional co-operation in
South Asia was discussed
as early as in 1947 but it
had not been realized.
Then in 1977, a Colombo Plan Consultative Committee meeting was held
in Kathmandu. In the meeting, then King Birendra delivered an inaugural
speech. He proposed for regional cooperation among South Asian countries
in sharing river waters. Other participating nations liked this idea. After three
years, Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rehman proposed to form a regional
cooperation body during the meeting of the officials of the foreign ministries
of seven countries in Colombo in 1981. The proposal was accepted by all the
seven countries. With its first summit held in Dhaka on December 8,1985, the
SAARC was established. On behalf of our country then King Birendra had
signed the SAARC charter.

Nepal is a founding member of the SAARC. Nepal has contributed to the
SAARC in all the way it can. There are a number of high level SAARC offices
in Nepal. The SAARC Secretariat is located in Thamel of Kathmandu. The
Secretariat is the highest office of the SAARC. Likewise, SAARC Tuberculosis

206 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Center (Bhaktapur) and SARRC Information Center (Kathmandu) are also in
Nepal. Nepal has already held three summits. Third, eleventh and eighteenth
summits were held in Kathmandu. Nepal has contributed in development of
agriculture, health, family planning, transportation, water resources, among
others, in the region. Our country has also played its role against child and
women trafficking, drug trafficking, terrorism. Nepal follows the SAARC
mission of poverty alleviation and crime control. The SAARC logo was
designed by Nepali citizen Sailendra Maharjan. Nepal has also held South
Asian Federation Games (SAF games). First, eighth and fifteenth SAF games
were held in Kathmandu. Nepal contributes 11.35 % of the SAARC expenses.

Free the Words

inaugural speech : opening speech

alleviation : act of reducing something unpleasant

In-class Activities

Make a brief profile of one of the SAARC countries. Include information
about geography, population, political system, and social life.

Exercise

1. Fill in the blanks.
a. Idea of regional cooperation was discussed as early as in ……...… .
b. King Birendra delivered the inaugural speech in …….........… .
c. SAARC was establised on …….........… .
d. Nepal contributes ……...…....... of the SAARC spending.
e. The SAARC logo was designed by ……............. of Nepal.

2. Answer these questions.
a. What role did Nepal play in the birth of the SAARC?
b. Name the SAARC offices that are located in Nepal.
c. In what areas of regional cooperation has Nepal contributed?
d. What is SAF game? How many SAF events has Nepal held so far?

3. Nepal is an integral part of the SAARC. Justify this statement.

4. How has the SAARC helped Nepal? List out any four areas of help.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 207

Lesson Landlocked Countries

8.4

Pre-reading Activities

Landlocked countries obviously face difficulty in international trade and transit.
But what advantage do you think a landlocked country gets? What are the positive
things about a landlocked country?

Reading

Have you ever thought why most of the globe is coloured in blue? That’s
because two thirds of earth’s surface is covered by water. Should not every
country be linked to the sea and ocean then? You may wonder. But not exactly.
Despite abundance of water on the earth's surface, there are places like deserts
and there are countries which have no access to the seas. We call such a country
landlocked country. In other words, the country which does not have a direct
access to sea is called a landlocked country.

208 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Such a country has no borders with any sea or ocean. Nepal is also a landlocked
country. It is surrounded by China in the north and India in south, east and west.
Bhutan and Afghanistan are other landlocked countries in the SAARC region.
People from a landlocked country have to travel vast stretches of other
transit countries for their access to and from the sea. Due to lack of transport
connectivity, such countries have to bear a high cost of trade transaction.
Landlocked countries have to depend on the neighbouring countries for the
transit, facility.
But Nepal is not the only landlocked country in the world. There are 12 such
countries in Asia.
Africa, Europe and South America also have landlocked countries. Here is a
list of landlocked countries:

Asia

Nepal, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Bhutan, Afghanistan,
Kazakhstan, Armenia , Laos, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan

Europe
Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Belarus, Luxembourg, Andorra,
Macedonia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Vatican City, Monaco, San Marino,
Liechtenstein, Serbia, Kosovo

Africa
Mali, Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic,
Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana,
Lesotho, Swaziland, Burundi, South Sudan

South America
Bolivia and Paraguay

North America and Australia don’t have landlocked countries.
Problems of the landlocked countries of the world
Most of the landlocked countries of the world share similar problems. Some of
these problems are given below:
• No access to water transportation facility
• Expensive border security

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 209

• No access to sea mineral resources and fishing trade

• International trade deficit
• Dependency on neighboring countries
• Development and construction works are affected

• Obstruction in import and export

Most of the landlocked countries face difficulties in trade and development
works. Basically, landlocked countries cannot enjoy benefit of sea and ocean.
Their trade, transportation and fishery are affected due to the lack to access
to comparatively cheaper water resource. So, most of these countries suffer
trade deficit. Moreover, they have to depend on their neighbouring countries.
Sometimes, they even have to compromise their national interest to have an
access to trade and business routes. Similarly, the landlocked countries have
to bear extra expenses for border security. Our country Nepal also faces these
problems. We use limited trade and transit points provided by India for
our foreign trade. Birgunj, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa, Kakadvitta,
Dhangadhi and Mahendranagar are some transit points along the Nepal-India
border. Similarly, Olangchungola, Kimathanka, Kodari, Rasuwa and Mustang
are some popular transit points to China. These points are useful for the trade
of our country with India, China and other countries.

As a landlocked country, Nepal faces a number of challenges in trade and
development. But such challenges can be overcome. For this, Nepal should build
friendly relations with neighbouring countries, especially India and China. If
Nepal develops cordial relation with these countries it can import and export
goods through these countries without any difficulty. If our relations with these
countries sour, it will seriously affect our international trade and development.
Besides, it is equally important to develop railway linking among these countries.

access Free the Words
obstruction
trade deficit : way to reach
: something that blocks or hinders
: loss incurred in international trade

In-class Activities

Get into a group and discuss the challenges that a landlocked country like
Nepal faces. Also suggest ways of overcoming the challenges.

210 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Exercise

1. Answer the following questions.
a. How would you define a landlocked country?
b. Name the landlocked countries which are the members of the SAARC.
c. Which continents do not have any landlocked countries?
d. Which continent has the largest number of landlocked countries?
e. What are the transit points between Nepal and China?

2. Make a list of the major problems that a landlocked country faces.

3. Match the following: B
A

i) Laos Africa

ii) Luxembourg South America

iii) Congo Africa

iv) Paraguay Europe

v) Zimbabwe Asia

4. What would have happened to Nepal’s development efforts if she were
not a landlocked country? Support your views with suitable reasons.

5. Draw a map of Asia and show the landlocked countries. You may use
a tracing paper to draw the map.

6. Which of the following nations are landlocked countries? List them.

China, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Congo, Switzerland, Laos, England, India,
Slovakia, Vatican City, Italy, Canada, Nigeria, Austria, Mongolia, France,
Germany, Paraguay, Australia, Denmark, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka

 

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 211

Lesson International
Relations of Nepal
8.5

Pre-reading Activities

Why do you think countries establish relationship among themselves? What
benefits does a country get from its relationship with another country? Make a
list of possible benefits.

Reading

Nepal is a member of the United Nations. It has friendly relations with many
countries in the world. It is a member of the SAARC. It is also a member of
Non-Aligned Movement. Nepal has signed different international treaties and
conventions. Nepal has shown its commitment to world peace. Nepal has
established diplomatic relations with 164 countries in the world till date. India
and China are very old friends of Nepal though the formal relation with them
was established later. United Kingdom is the first country which established
friendly relation with Nepal in 1934 B.S. Then, Nepal grew formal relations
with USA and France as well. After the introduction of democracy in 2007 B.S.,
Nepal developed friendly relations with many Asian, European, African and
American countries.

Likewise, our country has opened embassies and consulate general offices in
various foreign countries. There are 32 embassies. And three consulate general

212 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

offices in Lhasa, Hong Kong and Kolkata. In the recent years our country has
opened embassies in South Africa, Canada and Brazil as well. Here is the list of
the countries with which Nepal has established diplomatic relations.

Name of the Date when diplomatic Name of the Date when diplomatic
countries relation began countries relation began

Afghanistan July 1, 1961 Costa Rica August 16, 1977
Albania
Algeria May 23, 1972 Croatia February 6, 1998
Andorra
Argentina April 29, 1968 Cuba March 25, 1975
Armenia
Australia September 22, 2006 Cyprus August 18, 1980
Austria
Azerbaijan January 1, 1962 Czech Republic March 2, 1994
Bahrain
Bangladesh March 26, 1993 Denmark December 15, 1967
Belarus
Belgium February 15, 1960 Dominican September 28, 2007
Bhutan August 15, 1959 Republic
Bolivia February 28, 1995 DPR of Korea May 15, 1974
Bosnia January 13, 1977 Egypt July 16, 1957
Herzegovina April 8, 1972 EL Salvador September 21, 2016
Botswana July 19, 1993 Equator June 21, 2006
Brazil
Brunei August 19, 1963 Estonia April 20, 1992
Bulgaria
Cambodia June 3, 1983 Ethiopia April 15, 1971
(Kampuchea)
Canada May 21, 1987 Fiji June 12, 1986
Chile January 12, 2000
Colombia Finland September 21, 1974
Congo January 8, 2009
February 7, 1976 FR of Germany April 4, 1958
February 3, 1984
April 15, 1968 France April 20, 1949
April 18, 1975
Gabon June 17, 1985
Republic

Georgia September 22, 2005

Greece February 2, 1990

Guatemala August 8, 2006

January 18, 1965 Guyana June 22, 1994

1962 Haiti May 23, 2007

May 7, 1987 Holy See September 10, 1983

September 22, 2006 Honduras August 18, 2006

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 213

Hungary January 15, 1961 Mexico November 25, 1975
Iceland May 25, 1981 Moldova July 20, 1993
India June 13, 1947 Monaco May 15, 2012
Mongolia January 5, 1961
Indonesia December 25, 1960 Montenegro July 18, 2011
Iran December 14, 1964 Morocco February 18, 1975
Iraq October 30, 1968 Mozambique September 25, 1986
Ireland August 19, 1999 Myanmar March 19, 1960
Israel June 1, 1960 (Burma)
Italy August 31, 1959 the April 2, 1960
Japan July 28, 1956 Netherlands
Jamaica October 1, 2015 New Zealand May 1961
Jordan August 20, 1965 Nicaragua October 5, 1986
Kazakhstan June 30, 2015 Nigeria December 20, 1975
Kenya June 3, 1975 Norway January 26, 1973
Kuwait February 25, 1972 Oman January 21, 1977
Kyrgyzstan Mar 26, 1993 Uruguay April 18, 2012
Laos May 20, 1960 Pakistan March 20, 1960
Latvia April 20, 1992 Panama February 15, 1984
Lebanon August 18, 1963 Paraguay August 2, 2006
Lesotho May 18, 2010 Peru January 28, 1976
Libya December 30, 1975 Philippines February 12, 1960
Lithuania February 8, 2005 Poland November 25, 1959
Luxembourg November 27, 1975 Portugal September 1, 1976
Macedonia January 6, 1998 Papua New April 12, 2013
Malaysia January 1, 1960 Guinea
Maldives August 1, 1980 PR of China August 1, 1955
Mali November 19, 2009 Qatar January 21, 1977
Malta September 25, 1983 Republic of May 15, 1974
Mauritius February 12, 1981 Korea
Mauritania December 4, 2012 Romania April 20, 1968
Russian July 20, 1956
Federation

214 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Saint Vincent September 27, 2007 Tajikistan September 13, 2005
Tanzania January 10, 1975
Samoa March 28, 2013 Thailand November 30, 1960
Tunisia April 14, 1984
San Marino August 10, 2005 Turkey November 15, 1962
Turkmenistan October 17, 2005
Saudi Arabia March 15, 1977 Tuvalu December 11, 2012
Ukraine January 15, 1993
Serbia October 7, 1959 United Arab January 22, 1977
Emirates
Seychelles October 10, 1996 United March 3, 1816
Kingdom
Singapore March 25, 1969 USA April 25, 1947
Vanuatu September 19, 2006
Slovak March 4, 1994 Venezuela April 28, 1987
Republic Vietnam May 15, 1975
December 25, 1985
Slovenia December 4, 1997 Yemen September 10, 1986
Zambia November 27, 1984
Solomon Island December 15, 2011
Zimbabwe
Somalia October 24, 1984

South Africa July 28, 1994

Spain May 13, 1968

Sri Lanka July 1, 1957

Sudan July 11, 1969

Sweden June 10, 1960

Switzerland November 10, 1959

Syria February 26, 1970

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.mofa.gov.np/en/diplomatic-relations-31.html

Free the Words

Non-alignment : not siding with any group
a formal agreement between two or more states
Treaty : a meeting or formal assembly
related to relationship between countries
Convention :

Diplomatic :

In-class Activities

Look at your Atlas and draw the flags of any five countries that have diplomatic
relations with Nepal.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 215

Exercise

1. Answer the following questions.

a. What are the regional and international organizations of which
Nepal is a member?

b. Which is the first country to establish friendly relation with Nepal?

c. How many countries does Nepal have diplomatic relations with?

d. Make a list of European countries that have established diplomatic
relations with Nepal.

2. Match the following.

A B

Nepal 1934 B.S.

International organization 2007 B.S.

Nepal's relation with UK Member of NAM

Introduction to democracy in Nepal SAARC

Regional organization UN

3. What are the benefits of having diplomatic relations with many
countries?

4. Look at the map of the world and identify the countries which have
diplomatic relations with Nepal. 

216 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Lesson Contemporary
World Events
8.6

Pre-reading Activities

What contemporary events that you might have heard happening in the world
interest you? Identify one and briefly introduce what it is.

Reading

As you are reading this lesson several important events, good and bad, may
be taking place across the world. They are called contemporary world events.
Such events may not be directly related to our country. But they can have
significant effects in relation to one country with other. You will read about
some of them in this lesson.
l On June 24, 2017, the women's

international team made the world
record for highest altitude football
match ever played at 18,799 ft. on
Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa.
l On July 4, 2017 North Korea tested
its first successful international
ballistic missile into sea of Japan. This act of North Korea was protested
by many nations of the world citing it as a threat to the world peace.
l On July 6, 2017, Sri Lankan government confirmed the outbreak of dengue
fever in its country killing at least 227 people.
l On August 3, 2017, footballar Neymar of Brazil signed 5 year deal with
French Club named Paris Saint- Germain (PSG) in a $263 million world
record transfer from Spanish club Barcelona.
l On August 9, 2017, the parliament of Nepal made a ban on menstruation
huts that will come into effect in August 2018.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 217

l On August 14, 2017, the WHO stated that Yemen cholera epidemic
reached 500,000 cases, with 2000 deaths. It was the worst cholera outbreak
anywhere in the world.

l On August 31, 2017, International Organization for Migration (IMO) stated
18,500 Rohingya Muslims fled from violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state
after 110 deaths, making for Bangladesh.

l On October 14, 2017, terrorist bomb attacked in a truck in Magadishu,
Somalia left at more than 300 dead and hundreds injured.

l On October 26, 2017, 37 year old Jacinda Ardern sworn in as prime
minister of New Zealand, becoming the world's youngest female head of
the government.

l On November 13, 2017, Italy failed to qualify for 2018 football worldcup
(first time since 1958), after play- off defeat against Sweden.

l On November 16, 2017, Leonardo da Vinci's painting 'Salvator Mundi'
sold for $450.3 million at auction in New York, world record price for any
art work.

l On November 24, 2017, former first vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa
was sworn in as president of Zimbabwe, replacing Robert Mugabe's 30
year tenure

l On December 7, 2017, same sex marriage was legalised in Australia.
l On November 11, 2017, Saudi Arabia announced an end to its 35 years

ban on cinema.
l On January 27, 2018, Taliban, terrorist group blasted an ambulance that

killed over 100 people in Kabul, Taliban.
l Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli attended the 49th annual meeting of World

Economic Forum that was held on January (22-25) 2019 at Davas City of
Switzerland. This is the first Prime Ministerial participation from Nepal
in the meeting.

World population reached 7.68 billion in February 2019. The world population
was 6 billion in 1999. In twenty years the population increased by 1.6 billion.
Similarly, Nepal was ranked 149th at UNDP's human development index of
2018.

218 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

On May 14, June 28, September 28, 2017, first local level election was held
in Nepal in three phases after the promulgation of the Constitution of
Nepal. Similarly on November 26 and December 7, 2017 the election for
the provincial assembly and house of representatives took place in two
different phases.

Different events keep taking place in the world. We should keep updated with
those events.

Free the Words

contemporary : belonging to the present or recent times
significant : important
ballistic : sudden act with anger
missile : a rocket lunched as a weapon
citing : mentioning
dengue : an infectious disease caused by a mosquito
cholera : a disease that causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea
epidemic : spreading very fast
sworn in : took administrative oath
auction : the act of selling anything to the people who offer to
pay the most

In-class Activities

Currently Europe is facing refugee crisis as a large number of people try to migrate
to Europe to avoid conflict in the middle east. Do you think European countries
should allow refugees? Why would some countries oppose it?

Exercise

1. Write True or False against the following statements.
a. Contemporary events means events that took place in the past.

b. World events have nothing to do with Nepal.

c. Jacinda Ardern is the youngest prime minister of the world.

d. Three different level of elections took place in Nepal after the elec-
tion of first constituent assembly.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 219

2. Answer these questions.
a. How do you think world events affect the relation of one country
with the other?
b. Some of the remote districts of Nepal like Jajarkot also faced the
outbreak of cholera. Write any two ways to protect from this fatal
disease.
c. Terrorism has become a serious problems of the world. Write some
ways to eradicate this inhuman act.
d. Nepal was ranked 144th at UNDP’s human development index of
2016. Do you think that’s a good news for Nepal?

4. What do you think should a person do to become world’s most popular
person?

Unit Revision

In this unit, we have learnt that:
The S AARC is an association of eight South Asian countries; it aims to
promote friendship and cooperation among its member nations.

  The SAARC has five important organs, namely the SAARC Summit,
Council of Ministers, Standing Committee, Technical Committee, and
the SAARC Secretariat.

The SAARC Secretariat works to coordinate and supervise activities
related to the SAARC.

Nepal is the founder member of the SAARC; it has played an active
role throughout the SAARC history.

Nepal is a landlocked country; as a landlocked country, she has the
right to trade and transit.

Projects for Unit Eight

1. Hold a mock SAARC conference. Take help from your teacher.

2. Make a list of three other world events that took place after
2017 and post them in the notice board. You can use the library
and use newspaper cuttings related to such events.

220 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Unit

9

Introduction
to Population and
Demographic Conditions

Learning Objectives

After the completion of this unit, students will able to:
• become familiar with population education.
• be able to learn the importance, scope and evolution of population education.
• be able to explain the processes of conducting population census and find

their sources.
• be able to understand and explain the trend of population growth and

population distribution by age, sex and geography.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 221

Lesson

9.1 Introduction to

Population Education

Pre-reading Activities

In a village there were 70 houses with an average of six members in each family.
Now, the number of houses has reached to 100. The average family member is 5.
Find out whether the population of the village is increased or decreased. Discuss
in the class.

Reading

You have read about population and demography in grade Six. Here is a short
introduction again. Population refers to a group of people living in a particular place
at a particular time. Thus, the number of people living in your family at this time is
the population of your family. May be you are five or six in your family. That's your
family population.

In other words, the total number of people living in a particular place, community or a
country is the population of that particular place, community or a country. Population
education is an important subject. It tells us about the number of people, their
distribution and their structure. It also tells us how the size of population is changing
from time to time. Population education makes us aware about its elements, processes,
measurement and statistics. According to the UNESCO, population education is "an
educational programme which provides for a study of the population situation in the
family, community, nation and the world with the purpose of developing national
and responsible attitudes and behaviour towards that situation."
Population education is a part of education activity. Population size, distribution,
structure, change are the areas of population education. With awareness of population
situation, we can understand how to cope with population change and how to deal
with problems caused by change.

Population is a dynamic process. That means the number of people living in a
particular community always changes. Your family population in the past may have
been smaller or bigger than it is today. But population of a country keeps increasing

222 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

from year to year. When the number of people increases, they will need more space
to live, more food to eat, more electricity and water to use and so on. Thus, increasing
population can cause economic, social, cultural and environmental problems.
Population education teaches us about these problems and also shows us ways to
solve them.

Population education explains the effects of population growth. It offers ways to
cope with those effects and makes the concerned authorities aware about them. Most
importantly, it makes every person aware of population problems and teaches that
person to behave responsibly.

Importance and advantages of population education can be summarized in the
following points:

Advantages

• It gives us information about caste, sex, religion and age-group of people living
in a particular place or a community.

• It teaches us about the change brought in population size by birth, death and
migration of people.

• It makes us aware of marriage, number of children and birth span and how to
respond to these processes.

• It helps the concerned authorities to make plans and policies for the benefits of
population.

Population statistics is equally important. It is important for our country because
proper system of registering birth, death and migration has not been fully developed.
Population statistics has importance in the following sectors.

Political importance: Population statistics helps us to determine the number of election
constituencies and the number of lawmakers to represent those constituencies.

Socio-economic importance: It is used as a reference to determine the development
grants to district, municipalities, Rural Municipalities, etc.

Statistical importance: Surveys can be carried out on the basis of population statistics.
Surveys such as living standard survey, health survey, labour survey and multiple index
surveys are the examples of surveys based on population statistics.

Free the Words

statistics : data
migration : movement of people from one place to another
dynamic : changing constantly
reference : a source of information

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 223

In-class Activities

Divide the class into small groups. Each group collects data about the population of
your class or school. Make sure to categorize your data under the following headings:

Total population : ..................................................................................
Male : ..................................................................................
Female : ..................................................................................
You may also think of looking at age-wise population composition. For example,
you can classify the population in different age categories.

Exercise

1. Fill in the blanks:
a. The number of people living in your family now is your ................ .

b. The UNESCO defines population education as ............. programme.
c. Population awareness helps us to cope with ................. change.
d. Concerned authorities make plans and ................. for the benefit of

population.
e. .............helps us to determine the number of election constituencies.

2. Answer these questions.
a. What is population?
b. Define population education.
c. State three advantages of population education.

d. Why is population education politically important? Explain.

3. Population is a dynamic process. Justify this statement.

4. Choose at least four friends from your class and complete the following table.

S. N. Name of Caste/ Family Population Occupation
Friends Ethnicity
1. 0-14 14-59 60 and
2. years years above
3.
4.
5.

224 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Lesson Scope of Population
Education
9.2

Pre-reading Activities

Get into two groups of 10-15 students. One group will choose the rural population
and the next will choose the urban population. Now, compare the major problems
seen in the population of two different areas.

Reading

Population education covers several areas. The areas of population education
may be different from one country to another. But the main goal of population
education is to make people aware of the existing situation and help them
plan for the future accordingly. Population education deals basically with the
following five areas. These are the scopes of population education.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 225

Demography: Population changes due to births, deaths, migration in a
particular place. The scientific study of this process is called demography. In
other words, demography deals with structure of human population using
records of the number of births, deaths and migration. Thus, demography is
the backbone of population education. It studies size, distribution, change and
structure of the population.

Population size refers to total number of people living in a particular geographic
location. By population distribution we mean division of population on the basis
of caste, age, sex, religion. The change in population size refers to population
change. Births, deaths and migration are major agents of population change.

Factors changing population size: Births, deaths, migration are responsible
for population change. These factors can cause increase or decrease in
population. Besides other elements like high birth rate, illiteracy, social and
cultural tradition, malnutrition, lack of health services also affect population
size of a country.

Effects of population growth: When a number of people in a family increases,
it also increases problems. For example, a family of 5 may be able to manage
in a four-room house. But if the number increases to 10 or 12, they won't be
able to live in the same house with the same level of comfort. Similar thing
happens to a country when population grows. More people will need more
food, more houses and more jobs. Likewise, they will need more schools and
hospitals. But with limited resources these demands cannot be fulfilled. As a
result, there will be problems like conflict, poverty, unemployment, insecurity
starvation, etc. More people will be using more natural resources and it will
affect ecological balance as well.

Effects of population decrease: It is not that population only increases.
Sometimes population of a country decrease as well due to famine, disaster,
etc. A number of European countries are suffering from this problem today.
When population declines drastically, it also causes problems. There will be
scarcity of human resources in the country. As a result, a country will have
to bring people from other countries for development works. This will affect
country's social, cultural and political situation as well.

Sex and reproduction: Population education also studies human sexuality,
sexual behaviour, reproduction, etc. Besides, physiological difference between
male and female and role of men and women also affect population. Knowledge

226 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

of these things provides us the ways to control sexual and reproductive
behaviour.

Planning for the future: Subjects such as marriage at an appropriate age,
conception, birth spacing, family planning, etc. fall under this area. This leads
to happiness and prosperity of an individual and family. It further helps to
bring change in one's concept and behaviour.

Free the Words

malnutrition : poor condition of health caused by lack of food
starvation : state of suffering and death due to lack of food
scarcity : become less in quanity, difficult to find
physiological : study of normal functions of living beings

In-class Activities

Make a survey of 18 houses of your community. Prepare a report on population
change in a year due to birth, death, marriage, migration, etc.

Exercise

1. Write True or False against the following statements.
a. Population education deals with health and education.
b. Demography is the study of population change due to
births, deaths, and migration.
c. Population size refers to total number of people living
in a particular community.
d. Population decrease is a good thing.
e. Population planning ensures better future.

2. Answer these questions.
a. What do you mean by scope of population education?
b. Define demography.
c. What factors basically change population size?

d. Why is it important to plan birth and marriage?
3. What factors have changed population size in our country? Write a

short essay and present it in the class.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 227

Lesson

9.3 Evolution of

Population Education

Pre-reading Activities

Divide the class into six groups. Ask each group to select different subjects. Now,
with the help of Internet, newspaper, articles, etc. find out the evolution of those
subjects.

Reading

Population education was not considered as a separate subject in the past. It
was taken as a part of social science. Population education began to be taught
from 1935 AD. Professor Sloan R. Wayland of Columbia University, the USA
had started it for the first time. Therefore, Wayland is also called the father
of population education. Not all the countries started population education
exactly at the same time. Sweden started it in 1935 AD and the US in 1937 AD.
From 1970 onwards, population education became a part of national education
in other parts of the world as well.

Population
Education

Ever since there have been various seminars and programmes to spread
awareness about population education in the world. The Workshop on
Population and Family Education sponsored by the UNESCO held in September
1970 at Bangkok was a land-mark in the history of population education. Other

228 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

workshops held on population education such as ones held in Kuala Lumpur
of Malaysia in 1971 AD, Istanbul of Turkey in 1973 AD and Santiago of Chili in
1974 AD shed light on importance of population education.

A number of global conferences have also been organized to inform people
about rapid population growth and help them find solutions to the problems
caused by population growth. The first international conference on world
population was held in Bucharest of Romania in 1974. International conference
on population was held in Mexico City in 1984.Another conference on population
and development was held in Cairo of Egypt in 1994. These conferences raised
awareness in global level about the need of population education.

Population education is not a new subject for Nepal. But it does not have a long
history either. Nepal government decided to introduce population education in
2037 BS for the first time. It was done under the joint initiative of the UNESCO
and Nepal government. Population committee formed in 2032 BS and National
Population Commission formed in 2035 BS had done necessary homework
for this. Then population education was integrated into school and university
curriculum in 2038 BS. Once the Ministry of Population and Environment was
formed in 2052 BS, population education began to receive more attention.

Population education was included in university education much earlier.
Faculty of education in TU started population education in 2038 BS. Population
education has been taught in BEd and MEd levels as an optional subject since 2041
and 2046 BS respectively. Faculty of humanities also started population studies in
2042 BS in Bachelors' level. It is taught in Master's level as well since 2047 BS.

Population education has become an integral part of school education since
2052/53. Population and environment was a compulsory subject from grade
Six to Eight. Then following the report of the High Level National Education
Commission (2055), Population, Health and Environment education was
introduced for grade Nine and Ten. Population education is taught as an
optional subject in secondary level now. Population education is also being
integrated into social studies curriculum. Basic Education Curriculum (6-8),
2069 BS has been implementing the subject Social Studies and Population
Education for class (6-8) developing syllabus and curriculum.

There are several national and international organizations which are actively
working for promoting population and environment education in Nepal.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 229

Free the Words

conference : a large meeting of members
seminar : meeting for discussion or training
integrate : include

In-class Activities

Go to the library and study the books, magazines, etc. related to the population
education. Find out in which five year plan much focus was given to Nepal's
population programme.

Exercise

1. Match the following.

Population taught for the first time 2032 BS

First population seminar 2068 BS

First international world population conference 1937 AD

Social Studies and Population 1970 AD

Population committee formed 1974 AD

2. Write True or False against these statements.
a. Population education was treated as separate subject from the early past.
b. Way-land is the father of population education.
c. Nepal government introduced population education in 2037 BS.
d. Population education became part of school curriculum in 2053.

3. Answer the following questions.
a. How did population education develop worldwide?
b. Name the population conferences and seminars held in different
places. Also mention the dates.
c. How did population education evolve in Nepal?
d. What is the situation of population education in school curriculum?

4. Write a couple of paragraphs describing how population education
evolved as a subject of study in Nepal.

230 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Lesson Population
Statistics
9.4

Pre-reading Activities

Visit all the classes of your school. Collect the data of the number of students
in each class. Make comparison between the number of girls and boys in the
school.

Reading

You know your family population. You can count the heads of the members
and say 'yes we are 5 or 7'. But how do you know how many people live in
a country? According to the census report of 2068 BS, Nepal's population is
2,64,94,504. How do we know? Through statistics and surveys.

Population statistics is based on different surveys, counting, registration,
administrative record, sample polls, etc. In fact, they are the basic sources of
population statistics. We know about increase and decrease in population
through these sources. Of all the sources, census is perhaps the most
important one. Primary sources of population statistics are: i) Census, ii)
Sample Surveys, iii) Vital Registrations, iv) Administrative Records. Among
these here is the description of census in detail.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 231

Census

In 2068 B.S., some enumerators may have visited your household and asked
your parents about children, jobs, marriage of someone in the family and so
on. Ask your parents if they had been asked these questions by government
enumerators. Such enumerators ask questions like these: How many members
are there in your family? How old is each of them? Which religion do they
follow? What is their mother tongue? What is their education level? How
many children were born in the last ten years, how many died, and how many
members migrated to other places? How many people got married? They may
also ask questions like if the family has a TV set or how many members in the
family use internet or telephone. This process of asking and recording facts
is called population and housing census. Broadly, it is called census. In other
words, census is officially counting the population of a family, society and the
country and recording the facts about them.

A census is conducted every ten years. It cannot be conducted every year or every
two years because of lack of resources. In Nepal, census is conducted on the basis
of inhabitation. That is the number of people is counted from where they are
currently living. In Nepal, census was conducted in 1968 BS for the first time.

After the facts are collected from the local households, they are classified under
different headings such as age, sex, education status, caste, religion, language,
occupation, region, etc. From this the final result of number of people belonging
to different caste, region is obtained. Census result helps the government to
understand the ground reality and make plans and policies for the future.

Statistics can be of two types. The information and details collected directly
from each household is called primary statistics. The one that has been collected
by a different person for a different purpose is called secondary statistics.

Why is all this necessary? You may be thinking. But census has several
purposes. The main objectives of census in Nepal are the following:

• To collect the comprehensive statistics regarding size, distribution and
change of population

• To figure out benchmark data for formulating plans and policies for social
and economic development

• To collect the details about amenities and services each family is using
• To create frames for sample surveys

• To make the statistics of local administrative areas available

Study the population statistics of Nepal of the last forty years

232 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Census Males Females Total
2028 BS 58,17,203 57,38,780 1,15,55,983
2038 BS 76,95,336 73,27,503 1,50,22,839
2048 BS 92,20,974 92,70,123 1,84,91,097
2058 BS 2,31,51,423
2068 BS 1,15,63,921 1,15,87,502 2,64,94,504
1,28,49,041 1,36,45,463

Source: Population Census, 2068

Free the Words

enumerator : someone who lists things one by one
inhabitation : act of living permanently in a place
comprehensive : complete, detailed
formulate : make
amenities : facilities

In-class Activities

Fill in the table below to take population census of five of your friends' families.

Number Caste Sex Age Religion Language Occupation

Family-1

2

3

4
5

Exercise

1. Match the following:

First census 1,50,22,839

Population of 2028 BS Primary and secondary

Population of 2068 BS 1968 BS

Statistics types 2,64,94,504

Population of 2038 1,15,55,983

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 233

2. Write True or False against the following statements.
a. A census refers to counting of population.
b. Census takes place every ten years.
c. Census is the secondary source of population statistics.
d. Counting of population and household is called census.
e. Census report helps the government to make plans for development.

3. Answer these questions.
a. Define statistics.
b. What is the difference between census and statistics?
c. Define census.
d. Why is census necessary?
e. Define primary and secondary source of statistics.

4. List the objectives of conducting census.

 

234 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Lesson Vital Registration

9.5

Pre-reading Activities

Look at the picture below in the text and discuss what it is about.

Reading

While new babies are born in a family, some elderly members may die as well.
Likewise, some members get married. With birth and marriage, the family
population increases. But when some members migrate to other places or die,
family population declines.

The phenomenon like birth, death, divorce,
marriage, migration should be registered in a
concerned office. The act of recording death,
birth, marriage, divorce, migration, etc. is called
vital registration. Such events are recorded
by registry office. The registrar does so. In
Nepal, ward offices of Rural Municipality or
Municipality function as registry offices. And
the officials of these offices work as a registrar.

It's very important to register birth, death, marriages, etc. We should go to
the registry office ourselves and inform the registrar about these events. The
registrar then records these events. But divorces are declared by the court.
Registering birth, death, marriage, etc. will help us to know the situation of
local population. In Nepal, census is held every ten years. But a number of
people may be born, others might die, others may migrate to other cities and
yet others may be married off in a decade's time. Vital registration helps us to
know the records of all such things.

Birth registration gives legal status to birth and marriage events. It also helps

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 235

us to get the citizenship certificates easily. It also helps parents to transfer
their properties to children. It also helps to find out the exact population of a
particular community. Here is a record of birth, death and migration statistics
from census 2048 and 2058 BS.

Bases 2048 2058 2068

Birth Rate 38 per thousand 32.5 per thousand 22.17 per thousand

Death Rate 13.3 per thousand 9.3 per thousand 6.81 per thousand

Migration Inmigration 43,944 6,08,092 -
Rate Outmigration 6,58,290
7,62,181 19,21,494

Free the Words Source : National Census 2068

phenomenon : facts or events in nature or society
divorce : asegpreareamtieonntooffhbuostbhand and wife legally from the court with the
registration : act of making an official record of something
registry office : office where records of births, marriages and deaths are made
registrar : a person who keeps official records of birth, marriage, etc.

In-class Activities

Go to your Rural Municipality or Municipality and get the form of birth certificate.
Display it in the class.

Exercise

1. Fill in the blanks.
a. Census is conducted in Nepal every ............................... years.
b. 38 children were born per ................ according to census .................. .
c. The court decides the case of ............................... .
d. The registrar provides certificate of ............................. .
e. Registration adds legitimacy to ............................... .

2. Answer these questions.
a. What do you mean by vital registration?
b. What are registry offices in Nepal?
c. What events are registered in registry offices?
d. State three benefits of registration.

3. Ask your parents to see your birth certificate and note the details given there.
4. What is the name of registrar and registry office of your Rural Municipality/

Municipality? Give in details.

236 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Lesson Population
Growth in Nepal
9.6

Pre-reading Activities

What negative impacts can occur due to rise in population? List out as many
points as you can and discuss in the class.

Reading

Nepal is one of the overpopulated countries in the world. But this small country
didn't have this problem until 1998 BS. Nepal's population was just about 63,
00,000 then, much less than the province 3 today.

Population is a dynamic and evolutionary process. Population changes from
time to time. Though population of a country may go down over a few years,
it keeps increasing most of the time. Thus, it's hard to determine the size of
population. Yet can find out the number of population living in a particular
place at a particular time. How do we know about growth or decline of

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 237

population? By making comparative studies of censuses held in different
periods. It is also called inter-censual studies. Study the table below:

Census year Population Male/ Growth Inter- Population
1968 BS (1911) Female rate in % censual density per
changes
ratio square
in %

5,638,749 –––––– –––––– –––––– 38

1977 BS (1920) 5, 573,788 –––––– – 0.13 – 1.15 38

1987 BS (1930) 5,532, 574 –––––– – 0.07 – 0.74 38

1998 BS (1941) 6, 283, 649 –––––– 1.16 13.58 43

2009-11 BS (1952/54) 8,256,625 96.8 2.27 31.40 56

2018 BS (1961) 9,412,996 97.0 1.64 14.01 64

2028 BS (1971) 11,555,983 101.4 2.05 22.77 79

2038 BS (1981) 15,022,839 105.0 2.62 30.00 102

1048 BS (1991) 18,491,097 99.5 2.08 23.09 126

2058 BS (2001) 23,151,423 99.8 2.25 25.20 157

2068 BS (2011) 26,2494,504 94.16 1.35 14.44 180

Source : National Census 2068

From the table above, we find that in 1968 BS Nepal's population was only
5,638,749. It took thirty years to grow that population into 62,83,649. That is to
say in thirty years population grew only by 6,00,000. If this slow growth trend
had become stable, it would take 200 years that population to double.

Nepal saw exponential growth rate after 1998 BS. As a result, population has
grown four times high in 2058 BS. Annual growth rate of 2048-2058 was 2.25%.
But in 2068, that percentage has come down to 1.35. If this rate of growth is
maintained, Nepal's population will reach about 50 million, that is double the
total population we have today, in 52 years.

238 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

overpopulated FFrree: ee tthhweeithWWtoooorrgddressat a population

exponential : large, too high
evolutionary : developing slowly

In-class Activities

Collect the student population of your school of the last ten years and tabulate it to
show growth or decline.

Exercise

1. Fill in the blanks. Take help from the table given.
a. 43 people lived in a square kilometer land in ............................ .
b. Nepal saw the highest growth in ................................ .
c. Nepal's population was ............................ in 1968 BS.
d. Annual population growth rate of 2048-2058 was ........................ .

2. Write True or False against the following statements.
a. Population census started in Nepal from 1968 BS.
b. Population growth rate is higher in 2068 than it was
in 2058.
c. Nepal's population has doubled in the last 90 years.
d. If the growth rate of 1968 BS had continued, it
would take 200 years for the population of Nepal to
double.

3. Answer these questions.
a. Population is a dynamic and evolutionary process. Describe.
b. Why is a comparative study of population growth important?
c. What could be the reason for slow growth during 1968 to 1998 BS?
d. Describe the male/female ratio of current population structure.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 239

Lesson Population by Age,
Sex and Religion
9.7

Pre-reading Activities

Make a table that shows the age, sex and religion of all the students of your class.
Draw out the conclusion.

Reading

There are people of different age groups. They belong to different caste,
religion, language, occupation, etc. These factors refer to population structure.
Population structure reflects the true picture of the society. Thus, it is important
to collect population statistics on the basis of age, sex and religion. What is the
structure of population regarding age, sex and religion in our country? Here
is the detail.

Population by age-group: We can identify a person as child, adult, or old by
age. Nepal government divides people in three age groups while conducting
census. Those three age groups are 0-14, 15-59 and 60 and above. The census
report of 2068 BS shows this.

Age group Population Percentage
0 - 14 9246946 36.31
15- 59 15091848 52.09
60 and above 2154710 11.60
Total 26494504 100

Source : National Census 2068

Population by gender: There are males, females and individuals of third gender
in Nepal. Population statistics on the basis of sex can help the government and
policy makers to reduce gender inequality. Population by gender of 2058 and

240 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

2068 BS is as follows:

Census Total Male Female Gender ratio
2058 BS 23151423 11563921 11587502 99.8
2068 BS 26494504 12849041 13645463 94.16
Change 3343061 1285120 2057961

Source : National Census 2068

Population by religion: Population has been categorized on the basis of religion
as well. People follow Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity in Nepal.

Their statistics is as follows:

Religion Population Percentage
Hinduism 21551492 81.3%
Buddhism 2396099 9.0%
Islam 1162370 4.4%
Kirat 807169 3.1%
Christianity 375699 1.4
Prakrit 121982 0.5%
Others 79693 0.3%

Source : National Census 2068

FFrereeththeeWWoordrdss

gender inequality : unequal treatment of individuals based on their gender

In-cFlarsese AthcetiWvitoiredss

Make a count of people in at least three families, including yours, in your
neighborhood. Separate males from females and children from adults.
Then you will come to know the number of males, females, children and
adults in your neighborhood. Make a short note of what you have found
and compare.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 241

Exercise

1. Fill in the blanks.
a. ......... people belong to 0-14 age group, according to the latest census.
b. Highest number of population belongs to .................. age group.
c. Male-female ratio has decreased to ............... from ............. of 2058 BS.
d. ................. people follow Christianity in Nepal.

2. Answer these questions.
a. What do you mean by population structure?
b. What is the current situation of population by age in Nepal?
c. Explain population by gender.
d. What is the significance of population by gender?

3. Why do you think are there more females than males in Nepal?
4. Make a census report of students of your school by religion, gender

and age-group.

242 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Lesson Population by
Language, Caste and
9.8

Occupation

Pre-reading Activities

Write your caste and the language you use at home. Discuss in the class.

Reading

Not all people speak the same language. Which language we speak is determined
by which ethnic group we belong to and where we live. For example, most
people living in Janakpur speak the Maithili language whereas the Newars in
Kathmandu speak the Newari language. Population by language, caste and
occupation gives us the picture of how many people speak which language,
which caste they belong to and what jobs and professions they are engaged in.
Here is a comprehensive table from 2068 BS census.
(i) Population by language

Mother tongue Population Percentage

Nepali 11826953 44.6%
Maithili 3092 530 11.7%
Bhojpuri 1584958
Tharu 1529875 6%
Tamang 1353311 5.8%
Newari 846457 5.1%
Bajika 793418 3.2%
Magar 788530 3.0%
Doteli 787827 3.0%
Urdu 691546 3.0%
Others 31,99,049 2.6%
12%

Source : National Census 2068

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 243

(ii) Population by caste and ethnicity

Caste/Ethnicity Population Percentage Caste Ethnicity Population Percentage
Chhetri 4398053 16.6% Others – 24.2%
Bahun 3226903 12.2% Yadav 1054458 4.0%
Magar 1887733 7.1% Musalman 1164255 4.4%
Tharu 1737470 6.6% Rai 620004 2.3%
Newar 1539830 5.0% Gurung – 2.39%
Tamang 1258554 5.8% Damai 1.72%
Kami 4.8% Limbu 1.58%
Sarki 1.40%

Source : National Census 2068

(iii) Population by occupation

Perhaps your father is a business person or a teacher. Your uncle may be a
banker and your distant relative may be a farmer. This diversity in occupation
of your family members also applies to country's population. Some people
are in business, others may be in service and yet others may work as farmers.
Nepal has started the practice of counting population based on occupation and
profession. We call population distribution based on occupation population
by occupation. Agriculture is the chief occupation for most people in Nepal.

According to National Agriculture Census 2011-12 AD released by the Central
Bureau of Statistics, there are 3.831 million farming households in the country.
The farm sector employs 20.55 million people out of the national population
of 26.49 million.

Free the Words

comprehensive : detailed, easy to understand
occupation : job, profession

In-cFlarsese AthcetiWvitoiredss

What type of people live in your locality? Make a separate column that
shows the population by caste.

244 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Exercise

1. Write True or False against the following statements.
a. 50% people speak the Nepali language according to 2068 census
report.
b. Maithili speaking people make the second largest linguistic
community.
c. Urdu is spoken by the least number of people.
d. The Chhetris are the largest ethnic group of Nepal.
e. More than 80% people are engaged in agriculture.

2. Answer these questions.
a. Write about Magar, Doteli and Urdu language speakers of the country.
b. What are the languages spoken by people of your community?
c. Read the table of population by caste and ethnicity and write a few
lines about Tamang, Sarki and Kami.
d. What is the significance of population by gender.

3. Make a table specifying the occupation of people of your community.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 245

Lesson Population Distribution
Based on Region
9.9

Pre-reading Activities

Do you find the same number of students of boys and girls in all the classes?
Discuss in the class.

Reading

You may live in the Kathmandu Valley or the Terai towns of Biratnagar or
Nepalgunj. But there are people living in all three regions of the country: Terai,
Hills and the Mountains. But population distribution in the three regions is not
uniform. More people live in the valley and Terai than in the hills and mountains.
There is higher population density in places with modern facilities than those
that lack these facilities. People keep migrating to cities and towns from villages.
This causes population change in these places. People tend to migrate to Terai
from hills and mountains. Here is a comparative table of population distribution
by geographical region of 2058 and 2068 BS respectively.

Population distribution 2058

Region Population Percentage Source : National Census 2068
Mountain 1687859 7.3%
Hills 10251111 44.3%
Terai 11 21 2453 48.4%

Population distribution 2068

Region Population Percentage Source : National Census 2068
Mountain 1781792 6.73%
Hills 11394007 43.01%
Terai 13318705 50.27%

246 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Population of the Terai has gone up by about two percent after 2058. But hill
population has declined by one percent. Similarly, population of Mountain has
also gone down marginally. The difference of one or two percent may seem
nominal in data but in national population this difference accounts for hundreds
of thousands of people. Thus population change should be taken seriously.

Sex ratio is not even across the country. While male, female ratio in hills and
Himal is low, it is high is Terai. Interestingly, this ratio has gone down in all the
regions compared to 2058 census. Sex ratio in Mountain, Hills and Terai in the
2058 census was 98, 96 and 104 respectively. It has gone further down to 94, 92
and 97 in 2068 B.S.

declined Free the Words nominal : very small
: gone down

In-cFlarsese AthcetiWvitoiredss

Represent the population distribution 2068 in a suitable bar-diagram.

Exercise

1. Fill in the blank space with correct information.
a. Population in the hills declined by ........................ in 2068.
b. ....................... people live in Terai, according to 2058 census report.
c. Places with modern facilities have high .......................... .
d. There are 92 men per 100 women in ...................... according to 2068 census.

2. Answer these questions.

a. What do you mean by distribution of population?

b. Explain population distribution by geographical region of 2058 BS.

c. Why do you think are the Mountain regions sparsely populated?

d. Compare the male/female ratio of national population between 2058 and
2068 census.

3. What is the male/female ratio of your community population? Tabulate
it and present in the class.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 247

Unit Revision

In this unit, we have learnt that:
• population education refers to awaring people about the population and

making them more responsible towards managing it.
• demography, factors changing population size, effects of population

growth, effects of decrease in population, sex and reproduction, etc. are the
scopes of population education.
• population education began to be taught from the USA in 1935 AD.
• professor Sloan R. Wayland is called the father of population education
• according to the census report of 2068 BS, Nepal's population is 2,64,94,504.
• the act of recording birth, marriage, migration, divorce, death, etc. in the
ward office of rural municipality or municipality is called registration.
• the present population growth in Nepal is 1.35.
• the population of Nepal varies on the basis of age, sex religion, caste,
language, occupation, region, etc.

Projects for Unit Nine
1. Visit your rural municipality (Gaunpalika)or municipality office
and take statistics of people living in your rural municipality
(Gaunpalika). Tabulate the data and publish it in a school magazine.
You may give a copy of it to concerned rural municipality
(Gaunpalika) municipality.
2. Who is the registrar at your rural municipality (Gaunpalika)? Meet
him/her and interview. Ask him questions regarding importance
of birth and marriage registration and publish your interview
with him/her on the wall magazine.

248 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7

Unit

10

Population Growth
and Management

Learning Objectives

After the completion of this unit, students will be able to:
• explain the population growth trend in Nepal.
• identify the causes and state the consequences of rapid population growth.
• explain the concepts and methods of population management.
• understand the concept of quality of life and put it into practice.
• state the role and importance of national and international organizations in

population management.

Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7 249

Lesson Population Growth
Trend in Nepal
10.1

Pre-reading Activities

Talk to the principal of your school. Collect the data of the total number of
students of the last 5 years. Find out whether the number of students is in
increasing or decreasing trend.

Reading

Population immigration does not remain constant. It keeps on changing. It goes
up when there are births and immigration. It rises when people migrate to our
country from other ones. But population decreases when people die or migrate
to other countries. These processes of births, deaths and migration, among other
things, keep the population changing. We call it population change. Population
may increase at a slow rate or high rate. When it changes at a fast pace, we call
it rapid population growth or population explosion. If you study the tabulated
data in earlier lessons, you will be able to identify the time period of rapid
population growth in Nepal.

250 Oasis Social Studies & Population Education # 7