From the Chief Editor’s Desk

Demography has changed enormously since the last quarter of the 20th century from its concern on size and growth, to the composition, and further to the distribution of population. Ageing and health, household and family structure, fertility and reproductive rights, migration and urbanization have emerged as core concerns of demography with an objective to achieve sustainable development and gender equity. The rapid demographic changes have also created huge challenges as well as opportunities. However, the impact of demographic changes varies from country to country and even among regions in a large country like India depending upon the stage of demographic transition. There is a need to identify the demographic window of opportunities resulting from demographic, age-structural and mobility transitions at different spatial scales namely at the country, regional and sub-regional levels. Further, the demographic opportunities cannot be realized unless demographic changes are closely integrated with development planning and policies of a country. This also requires a paradigm shift within the discipline of Demography from the issues of size and growth to the composition and distribution of population. It worthwhile to mention that the composition of population, predominantly driven by age structural transition, is also influencing distribution of population through migration and urbanization because more and more young people are seeking livelihood and jobs outside their place of usual residence. In this light, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by United Nations General Assembly in 2015 to be achieved by the year 2030 provide us a roadmap about how demographic issues would be integrated with strategies of development. As such, the nature of Demography is not only confined to the measurement of population processes but also the causes and consequences spanning across a wide range of disciplines. In this process, the transition of the discipline of Demography to Population Studies is very much evident. Further in this changed scenario, Population Studies is most likely to be enriched by diversity of approaches, methods and subject matter. I appeal to the population scientists to use Demography India as a platform for the publication of their valued research.

As you know that from this issue a new team of editors has taken over. We would like thank Prof. K.K. Singh the outgoing Chief Editor and Dr. Brijesh Singh - the outgoing Managing Editor for their excellent work and making Demography India Open Access Online Journal. We would like to assure our continued effort to raise the quality and relevance of Demography India in the changing demographic scenario. I also like to place on record my deep appreciation of the tireless work of the new Managing Editor Dr. Harihar Sahoo, and thank the President IASP Dr. Somayajulu and his team for their support. My sincere thanks are due to many reviewers who helped to maintain the journal standard, and many authors who submitted their best work to the journal, and most important, our readers for their continuing support.

R.B. Bhagat

Chief Editor, Demography India