About Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP)

The Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP) is a professional body of population scientists, demographers, economists, statisticians, health professionals, development researchers and practitioners, social scientists, and other related experts. IASP promotes and enables research on population, health, and development; deliberates on emerging demographic and public health challenges; advocates with central and state governments on population-related policies and programmes; collaborates with national and international academic and professional bodies; and provides an enabling platform for dialogue on critical population and health issues. To encourage regionally grounded and policy-relevant scholarship, the Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP) regularly organises regional conferences across the country. As part of this ongoing series, IASP is organising its Western Regional Conference at the Department of Business Economics, Goa University, Goa University.

The conference will focus on demographic dynamics in western India, covering Goa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and adjoining regions. It aims to stimulate high-quality research, promote knowledge exchange, and foster informed dialogue on sub-national population trends and emerging development challenges, with relevance for policy, planning, and practice.

About the Goa University

Established in 1985, Goa University is the premier public university of Goa and a leading hub for higher education and research in the state. Located on the scenic Taleigao Plateau near Panaji, the University offers a vibrant academic environment overlooking the Zuari Estuary.

With a wide network of affiliated colleges and strong on-campus departments, Goa University provides undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes across diverse disciplines. It is known for its emphasis on research, innovation, and knowledge dissemination, supported by national initiatives and modern research facilities.

Accredited with an 'A' Grade by NAAC, the University has earned recognition in national and international rankings for its academic impact, research output, and contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Guided by its motto, "Learning is Divine" (ज्ञानं परमं ध्येयम्), Goa University continues to play a pivotal role in shaping higher education and intellectual leadership in the region.

The Goa Business School was established through the strategic amalgamation of departments that could deliver greater academic and research excellence together than in isolation. The School brings together four distinguished departments—Commerce (established in 1988), Computer Science andTechnology (1987), Economics (1968, as part of the Centre for Post-Graduate Instruction and Research at Goa, affiliated to the then University of Bombay), and Management Studies (1988). Each of these departments carries a rich legacy of teaching, research, and capacity building. The Department of Economics occupies a special place in the academic history of Goa University, having evolved from the Centre for Post-Graduate Instruction and Research (CPIR), which laid the foundation for the University itself. The Department of Computer Science and Technology was established with initial financial assistance from the Department of Electronics (DOE) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the Manpower Development Scheme, reflecting its early national relevance. Together with Commerce and Management Studies, these departments have consistently produced graduates and doctoral scholars who have been successfully absorbed in industry, academia, and research organizations in India and abroad.

While the amalgamation is guided by clearly defined objectives of synergy, interdisciplinarity, and global visibility, the individual contributions and strengths of each department remain central to the School’s identity. The combined data on publications and awarded PhDs reflects the collective academic strength of these disciplines. Over time, academic programmes are expected to evolve through interdisciplinary collaboration, offering students intellectually challenging and industryrelevant learning opportunities. The Goa Business School maintains strong linkages with industry and business enterprises within and beyond Goa, facilitating internships and placements. With its comprehensive, practice-oriented programmes, Goa University has emerged as one of the select universities offering integrated business education grounded in academic excellence

Theme of the Conference

The proposed theme, Demographic Transition in Western India, foregrounds the rapid yet uneven population changes unfolding across the region, marked by sustained fertility decline, rising longevity, accelerated population ageing, intensifying migration, and expanding urbanisation, all occurring alongside growing ecological and climate-related stress. Evidence from NFHS-5 indicates that fertility has fallen well below replacement in Maharashtra (TFR 1.7), Goa (TFR 1.3) and Gujarat (TFR ~1.9), while Rajasthan (TFR ~2.0) is approaching replacement fertility after decades of higher fertility. These patterns reflect delayed marriage and childbearing, increased contraceptive use, and changing family norms, with important implications for population momentum, labour supply, and intergenerational dependency. Improvements in survival and rising life expectancy, as documented by SRS life tables, have accelerated population ageing across the western region—particularly in Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat—where the proportion of persons aged 60 years and above is increasing steadily, raising concerns related to geriatric health care, long-term care needs, pensions, and social protection systems in settings where traditional family-based support is weakening.

Within this demographic transition framework, migration, urbanisation, and environmental stress operate as key mechanisms shaping population structure and dynamics. Census 2011 data show that internal migrants constituted about 37% of India’s population, with Maharashtra hosting around 6 million inter-state migrants and Gujarat also emerging as a major destination state, attracting large inflows into industrial and urban centres such as Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara. Goa, despite its small population base, recorded over 115,000 inter-state migrant workers, nearly one-fourth of its workforce, contributing to very low fertility and rapid ageing, while Rajasthan, with lower urbanisation and continued out-migration of young adults, experiences altered rural age structures and rising oldage dependency. NSSO and IHDS evidence further suggests that circular and seasonal migration—prevalent among informal and contract workers—disrupts access to health care, education, and nutrition, with implications for fertility behaviour, mortality risks, and human capital formation. These demographic processes increasingly intersect with climate and ecological pressures—such as coastal erosion in Goa and parts of Gujarat, groundwater depletion and water scarcity in Maharashtra and Gujarat, and drought and desertification in western Rajasthan—shaping livelihoods, migration decisions, health vulnerability, and spatial population distribution.

Against this backdrop, the conference seeks to encourage empirical, methodological, and policyoriented research that examines how fertility decline, ageing, migration, urbanisation, gender relations, health transitions, and ecological change are reshaping development pathways in western India, particularly from states of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Guidelines for Abstract Submission

A short abstract of up to 500 words should be submitted by copying and pasting the text into the submission box. Papers should primarily focus on issues relevant to western Indian states. Each registered author may submit a maximum of two abstracts. However, one participant will have the opportunity to present only one paper/poster in the conference.

The abstract should have the following sub-heads;

• Broad theme of the paper (sentence case)
• Title of the Paper (Bold, sentence case, preferably 10–12 words)
• Author(s) name(s) in italics with affiliation
• Background and Objectives (20%)
• Data and Methods (25%)
• Findings (40%)
• Policy Implications (15%)
• Font: Times New Roman, Size: 12
  

Online Abstract Submission:

Abstract Submission

Registration Fee 
Authors of shortlisted papers will be required to register for the conference by paying the registration fee. The details of registration fee and account details are as follows.

Mode of Registration Fee Payment 

Bank details for submitting the registration fee are as given below: 
Bank Name: Canara Bank
A/c No.: 0267101516126
IFSC Code: CNRB0008461 
Branch Name: Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi-110007 
A copy of the payment receipt should be sent to iasp.india@gmail.com 
Or by scanning the QR Code

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For more information, please send an email to iasp.india@gmail.com.

Please keep visiting our website, www.iasp.ac.in, for further updates.

Themes and Sub-Themes

1. Nuptiality, Fertility, Infertility and Family Planning in Western India

A. Fertility preferences, intentions, timing and spacing of births; parity progression, parenthood transitions and population momentum

B. Marriage timing, delayed marriage, marriage dissolution and implications for fertility decline and household formation

C. Demand and unmet need for contraception, contraceptive dynamics, post-partum contraception and barriers to use

D. Infertility and delayed childbearing in low-fertility settings

E. Child marriage: persistence, decline and long-term demographic consequences

2. Mortality, Longevity and Epidemiological Transition in Western India

A. Maternal and child mortality and morbidity in the context of mortality transition

B. Adult mortality, survival differentials and life expectancy trends

C. Changing causes of death and epidemiological transition

D. Stillbirths and perinatal mortality

3. Population Ageing and Intergenerational Dynamics in Western India

A. Levels, trends and spatial patterns of population ageing in western India

B. Ageing, dependency ratios and changing family and household structures

C. Health, functional ability and quality of life among older adults

D. Long-term care, social security, pensions and elder support systems

E. Intergenerational transfers, care arrangements and effects of youth out-migration

4. Reproductive and Sexual Health in Western India

A. Sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and youth in contexts of delayed marriage and fertility decline

B. Men’s sexual and reproductive health and shared responsibility for fertility regulation

C. Abortion, reproductive wastage and access to safe services

D. Equity, rights and access to reproductive and sexual health services

5. Migration, Urbanisation and Spatial Demography in Western India

A. Internal, circular and seasonal migration patterns and selectivity (age-sex composition)

B. Urbanisation, secondary cities and peri-urban expansion

C. Migration and changing household composition and dependency structures

D. Health and living conditions of migrant populations

E. Migration governance, migrant rights and access to services

F. Climate-induced migration, displacement and demographic adaptation

6. Adolescent, Gender and Demographic Change in Western India

A. Gender norms and demographic behaviour (fertility, marriage, education)

B. Gender-based violence and demographic and health consequences

C. Adolescent transitions: education, skills, work and delayed family formation

D. Female empowerment, labour force participation and demographic dividend

7. Population, Environment and Climate Change in Western India

A. Climate and environmental stress as demographic risk multipliers

B. Coastal vulnerability, drought, water scarcity and population exposure

C. Climate change’s impact on access to health services

8. Health, Nutrition and Intergenerational Outcomes in Western India

A. Undernutrition among children, adolescents and pregnant women and its long-term demographic effects

B. Anaemia, maternal nutrition and intergenerational health transmission

9. Advances in Demographic Measurement and Analytics for Western Indian states

A. Data quality, estimation challenges and demographic measurement

B. Integrating NFHS, SRS, NSSO, IHDS, Census and administrative data for demographic analysis and policy design for western states

About Goa

Goa, located along India’s western coast, provides a distinctive demographic and ecological context for examining population transition in western India. The state is characterised by one of the lowest fertility levels in the country, high life expectancy, and an early onset of population ageing. At the same time, Goa has one of the highest levels of urbanisation, a tourism-driven economy, and a large floating and migrant population, resulting in dynamic population mobility and changing household and labour-market structures.

Environmental vulnerability is a defining feature of the region. Coastal erosion, pressure on land and water resources, and climate-related risks intersect with demographic change, influencing livelihoods, settlement patterns, and migration. Goa’s demographic experience reflects broader western Indian trends, where declining fertility, increasing longevity, rapid urbanisation, internal migration, andecological stress are jointly reshaping development trajectories. The state’s strong tradition of research, policy engagement, and institutional capacity in health and development makes it a suitable venue for scholarly exchange and policy-oriented dialogue