Young at heart, Delhi needs education & job opportunities

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s population in 2041 is likely to cross 29 million based on growth assumptions across various parameters. While Economic Survey of Delhi 2019-20 shows that 30.3% of the population is between 15-30 years, making Delhi one of the cities in the world with a very high young population, in future it’s poised to see a significant increase in the proportion of persons of working age (25-60 years), indicating the need to create adequate employment opportunities.
Data on Delhi’s demographic profile, population projections and development needs in the draft Master Plan of Delhi-2041 indicates an increase in the proportion of persons in the age-group of 60 years and above. This signals the need for specific provisions for the elderly in the master plan. Close to 30% of Delhi’s population comprises of children and young people in the 0-18 age-group, indicating the need for Delhi to become a more child-friendly city.
Delhi’s story as a melting pot that is home to migrants from across the country makes its presence felt in the introductory chapter of the draft master plan. It underlines the critical influence of this section in the way the city has evolved over the decades, starting with the surge of migrants who made Delhi their home after Partition.
It is highlighted that the previous master plan had estimated that 50% of the increase in population of Delhi would be due to migration. Migration is estimated to contribute 41% of the population increase during the present plan period, highlighting the need for introducing new housing types that cater to the needs of different income groups and tenure requirements.
Delhi is categorised as a multi-cultural, cosmopolitan city with second largest in-migration in the country. Census 2011 recorded nearly 2.26 million migrants who had been residing in Delhi for a duration of 0-9 years. However, over the last decade (2001-11), the total migration into Delhi has reduced.
This has happened because of the evolution of National Capital Region. The Economic Survey Report (2018-19) states that substantial migration was happening from neighbouring states. The development of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat, Noida and Ghaziabad and employment promotion programmes run by respective state governments have contributed to the reduction in migration to Delhi. However, the absolute number of migrants is still quite high.
According to the Census (1951-61), the decadal growth rate was 52.44%. The first time it dipped below 50% was in 1991-2001 when it came down to 47.03% and further dropped to 21.20% in 2001-11. It is estimated that the growth rate has dropped in the last two decades both in terms of natural growth and migration. However, in absolute numbers, NCT of Delhi accounts for about 1.39% of India’s population and is one of the most populous cities in the world.
With a high literacy rate (86.2%), Delhi also has a large educated workforce with about 1.1 million people in the 15-59 age-group (2011). The draft report therefore highlights the importance of the need for opportunities and spaces for education, skilling and employment for the youth as an imperative for talent retention and to create a skilled workforce for the city and the country.
More than 97% of the population was urban in 2011 as compared to 53% in 1901. At present, most people reside and work largely in the central, eastern, southern and northern parts of the city. In the plan period 2021-41, the western and northern peripheries of the city are slated for large-scale development.
Gender dynamics and safety concerns are crucial to any planning exercise. While the share of population of women in the working age in Delhi has increased over the last decade, the female labour participation rate is just 14.3%, five times lower than the male workforce.
“The city has to focus on facilitating more women to join the workforce by providing safe and gender-friendly streets, public spaces and workplaces with adequate childcare facilities. It can be expected that financially independent women becoming a norm in Delhi may help improve the sex ratio, albeit indirectly,” says the draft master plan document.