A Distributive Study of the Changes in the Industrial Composition of Indian Working Force: 1951-1961

Abstract

During 1951-1961 the industrial phase of India underwent some changes. An attempt is made in the present study to examine the spatial variation in the changes in the industrial composition of the Indian work force over the period 1951-1961. For this purpose the total area of Indian Union, excluding Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territories, was parcelled out into 267 areal units. The following hypotheses concerning changes in industrial composition were tested: 1. Size of principal city and change in industrial composition will be positively associated; 2. the proportion of work force engaged in primary industries and change in industrial composition will be negatively associated; 3. the greater the urban component of the unit's population the greater the change in industrial composition; 4. the growth rate of workers of the areal unit and the change in industrial composition will be positively associated; 5. the change in industrial composition and change in dependency burden will be negatively associated. The units were dichotomised according to the characteristics hypothesized to be related to the changes in industrial composition. The breaking point in most cases being the all-India value of the characteristic in question. Change in industrial composition for each unit in each category was measured by the coefficient of dissimilarity which was obtained by comparing the 1951 and 1961 percentage distribution of workers by industrial class. The coefficients of dissimilarity for each class were averaged. Conformity of the data with the five hypotheses enumerated above was examined, separately for males and females. Out of ten comparisons examined seven were found to be in the hypothesized direction although only two were statistically significant. These findings seemed to go counter to the contention that marked change in the economic structure of Indian society occurred during 1951-61, a major premise taken to be valid in deriving hypotheses concerning the change in industrial composition of the working force in this country during the period 1951-1961.