- North East
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Sikkim
- Tripura
Assam
Submitted by admin on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 11:02
|
The land corresponds a world of contrast and excitement, something celestial and amazing. It is a Magic Land, a Green Paradise. It combines so many and such varied passions and beauties that one has to take a pause at least for its praise.
For Assam is identified no better than by its Bihu songs and dances, the Kaziranga Wild Life Sanctuary where the rare one-horned rhinoceros roams
Spread beneath the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, Assam has a history dating back to the Vedic ages. During Mahabharata age, it was known as Pragjyotish (Land of Eastern Light). In the Puranas and Tantras, Assam was referred to as Kamrupa- the land where Kamadeva, the God of Love, was reborn.
In ancient times Assam constituted a part of the land known successively as Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotishpura, and Kamarupa. Asom (Axom) or its anglicized version Assam is a comparatively modern name. Opinions on the root of the name vary with one view ascribing its origin to the Bodo word Ha-Cham which means "low or level country" and a second view ascribing it to the word Asama, meaning "unequalled" or "peerless", and used to denote the Ahoms, a Shan tribe which ruled the land for six centuries from the 13th Century A.D.
It was during the Varmana dynasty that Assam was chronicled in the SI-YUKI, the famed travelogue of Hiuen-Tsang, a Chinese pilgrim. After the 600 years’ Ahom-Kingdom, Assam became part of British India in 1826 and then a constituent state of Independent India.
Geographically, Assam is surrounded by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh on the North, Nagaland and Manipur on the East, Meghalalya and Mizoram on the South and Bangladesh, Tripura and West Bengal on the West. Since independence, many changes have taken place in Assam geographically and in many other respects. At present, total land area of it is 78, 523 sq. kms. It accounts 2.4% of the total geographical area of the country. Demographically, Assam is the most populous state in the North East India. Economically, out of the eight North East States, Assam is the most developed. But compared to other states like Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Gujarat, Assam lags far behind in almost all economic spheres.
According to the census of India 2011, the population of Assam stands at 3,11,69,272 of which 1,59,54,927 are males and 1,52,14,345 females. The decadal growth rate of the State's Population work out to 16.93 per cent during the decade 2001-2011 as against 17.64 per cent for the country as a whole. Following table shows some important features of population of Assam:
Population Features at a Glance Assam and India:
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11 Economic Survey Assam 2008-09
►STATE INCOME:
Movement of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Assam at Current and Constant (2004-05) Prices (New Series):
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
Movement of Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) of Assam at Current and Constant (2004-05) Prices (New Series):
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
►AGRICULTURE:
The economy of Assam is predominantly agrarian. About 99 per cent area of total land mass of the State is rural and almost 50 per cent of the total land area is used for cultivation. The net cultivated area of the State is 28.10 lakh hectares (2008-09) of which 23 per cent area is either flood or draught prone and the per capita availability of net sown area comes to around 0.1 hectare. The average operational holding is 1.15 hectare only and more than 83 per cent of the farmer family is small and marginal farmers [2005-06, Agricultural Census]. The contribution of the agriculture sector to the GSDP (at constant 2004-2005 prices) was pegged at 4.1 per cent in 2009-10(Quick estimate) recorded showing a growth from 2005-06 but remained lower over 2008-09. However, this sector continues to support more than 75 per cent population of the State directly or indirectly providing employment of more than 53 per cent of the workforce. The agriculture in the state mostly depends on rainfall. One of the most serious problems adversely affecting the state’s agriculture is the recurrence of devastating floods almost every year.
Trend of Production of Foodgrains in Assam:(figure in 000 tonnes)
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
Target of Production of Major Crops in 2010-11:
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
Assam is traditionally a horticultural State due to its unique agro-cliniatic condition which permits growing of wide range of horticultural crops like various fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, nuts, tuber crops and medicinal and aromatic plants. World citrus belt encompasses Assam within it.
Horticultural crops occupy about 15% of the gross cultivated area of Assam and annually products more than 14.0 lakh MT of fruits, 39.0 lakh MT of vegetables and 2.0 lakh MT of spices besides nut crop, flowers and medicinal & aromatic plants thus contributing significantly towards food and nutritional security of the State. In spite of having all these inherent potentiality, commercialisation of horticulture sector in Assam is yet achieved.
Area and Production of some Major Horticultural Crops of Assam during the year 2009-10 (Estimated):
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
►SERICULTURE:
Sericulture is one of the most important agro-based labour intensive rural industries of Assam. Following table shows area under different silkworm and their production.
Sericulture Activities in Assam:
Source: Economic Survey, Assam 2010-11
►LIVESTOCK AND VETERINARY:
Livestock and Poultry Population Between 1997 and 2003:
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
►FISHERY:
As per data made available by the State Fisheries Department, the State, from all the water resources has achieved a fish production level of about 2.19 lakh tones during 2009-10 against 2.07 lakh production during 2008-2009. But still far away to reach self sufficiency in productivity with regards to economic as well as nutritional demand.
Year wise Production of Fish Seed and Fish in Assam:
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
►EDUCATION:
In the field of education, the primary objective of state Government is the universalisation of Primary Education and Qualitative improvement of Higher Education. The number of educational institutions in Assam is listed below:
Educational Institutions in Assam, (Sept. 2009):
Source: Statistical Hand Book Assam 2010
►INDUSTRY:
Production of Some Selected Industries in Assam:
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11 Industrial Area in Assam:
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2010 Statistical Handbook Assam 2009
Industrial Estates in Assam:
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2010 Statistical Handbook Assam 2009
►HANDLOOM:
Statistics of Handloom & Textiles in Assam, 2009-10:
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2010
Statistics of Handloom Demonstration Circle & Weaving Activity in Assam, 2009-10:
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2010
►ROAD TRANSPORT:
Number of Motor Vehicle Registered and Motor Vehicle on-road:
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
Motor Vehicles on Road in Assam, 2010:
Source: Statistical Handbook, Assam, 2010
►POWER:
Power is the basic infrastructure requirement for the growth of industries as well as over all economy of the State. The Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB), which was constituted in 1958 under Electricity (Supply) Act 1948, has been taking prime responsibility of integrated power development of the State. In purpose of the electricity Act 2003 and part as a of the Assam Power Sector Development Programme, the Government of Assam has set in motion the process of unbundling the A.S.E.B. into five Government Companies. The five companies are- the Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGCL), the Assam Electricity Grid Corporation Limited (AEGCL), Upper Assam Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UAEDCL) for the areas of supply in the Upper Assam Region, the Central Assam Electricity Distribution Company Limited (CAEDCL) for the central areas and the Lower Assam Electricity Distribution Company Limited (LAEDCL) for the areas of supply under the lower Assam Areas. These initiatives are in the interest of all the stakeholders in the electricity sector in the state, i.e. consumers, shareholders, suppliers, creditor, infrastructures builders and the Government of Assam.
Installed Capacity and Power Generating by ASEB:
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
►BANKING:
Banks have an important role to play in stimulating economic development of a State or a country. In Assam, the widening network of scheduled commercial banks has been playing a crucial role in mobilization of savings. As on March 2010, number of bank offices of scheduled commercial banks in Assam stood at 1434, of which 399 were Regional Rural Banks. The average population covered per Bank branch office (based on the projected mid-year population) in the State was around 21000 which is however quite unsatisfactory in comparison to the all India average of 14,000 population during the same period.
Growth of Scheduled Commercial Banks of Assam and India:(As on March)
* Reporting Offices only Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
Distribution of Aggregate Deposits and Gross Bank Credit of Reporting Scheduled Regional Rural Banks in Assam:(Rs. in Crore)
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2010 Statistical Handbook Assam 2008
Credit Deposit Ratio of All Scheduled Commercial Banks in Assam and India:(As on March)
Source: Economic Survey Assam 2010-11
►HEALTH:
The State of healthcare infrastructure in Assam is relatively better as compared to the other States of NER. There are six Medical Colleges, one State Level Hospital (MMC), one Ayurbedic College, one BSc. Nursing College, three Homeopathic Medical Colleges and four Pharmacy Institutions in the state under the State sector. The State Government has initiated action to establish three more Medical Colleges in the state. Guwahati, the capital of Assam has a few super specialty hospitals as well as general hospitals and nursing homes. Following table shows the scenario of this sector in the year 2007:
Number of State Government Hospital, Primary Health Centres, Dispensaries, Beds, C.H.C, ETC in Assam:
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2010
Number of Beds in different types of Health Institutions in Assam:
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2010
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
at will, silks such as paat and muga which rank amongst the finest in the world, the State’s tea which finds its way to millions of homes all over the globe, and the Shrine of Kamakhya which draws thousands of devotees every year.