Ramban district
District of Jammu and Kashmir administered by India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ramban district is an administrative district in the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.[1] It is located in a valley surrounded the Pir Panjal range. It was carved out as a separate district from erstwhile Doda district in 2007.[6] It is located in the Jammu division. The district headquarters are at Ramban town, which is located midway between Jammu and Srinagar on the banks of the Chenab river on National Highway-44, approximately 151 km from Jammu and Srinagar.[7]
Ramban district | |
|---|---|
View of Ramban | |
 Interactive map of Ramban district | |
 Ramban district is in the Jammu division (shown with neon blue boundary) of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (shaded in tan in the Kashmir region of India | |
| Coordinates (Ramban): 33.24°N 75.24°E | |
| Administering country | India |
| Union Territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Division | Jammu Division |
| Parliamentary Constituency | Udhampur |
| Headquarters | Ramban |
| Tehsils |
|
| Area | |
• Total | 1,329 km2 (513 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 283,713 |
| • Density | 213.5/km2 (552.9/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 4.16% [2] |
| Demographics | |
| • Literacy | 54.27% [3] |
| • Sex ratio | 902 |
| Languages | |
| • Spoken | Kashmiri, Pogali, Gujari, Urdu |
| • Official | Kashmiri, Dogri, English & Urdu [4][5] |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | JK-19 |
| Major highways | NH-44 |
| Website | ramban.gov.in |
Geography
Ramban district is 1,156 metres (3,792 feet) above sea level (on average). The boundary lines of Ramban district encompass hill station Patnitop as its southernmost point, Assar on its eastern edge, Gool to the west, and Banihal to the north. The terrain of district Ramban is tough and hilly. District Ramban shares its boundary with Reasi, Udhampur, Doda, Anantnag and Kulgam districts.[6]
Climate
The climate of the district varies according to altitude. The temperature rises as high as 42 °C in the low-lying areas like Ramban town located in between steep mountains on the banks of Chenab River and drops to sub-zero in high-altitude areas like Sangaldan, Gool, Dhagantop, Asthanmarg, Lalagundi, Budhan, Pogal, Paristan, Neel. The working season in most of the district is about eight months because of weather conditions in the district.
Demographics
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 46,580 | — |
| 1911 | 50,305 | +8.0% |
| 1921 | 51,062 | +1.5% |
| 1931 | 57,361 | +12.3% |
| 1941 | 61,720 | +7.6% |
| 1951 | 71,242 | +15.4% |
| 1961 | 80,764 | +13.4% |
| 1971 | 105,767 | +31.0% |
| 1981 | 130,569 | +23.4% |
| 1991 | 168,962 | +29.4% |
| 2001 | 214,944 | +27.2% |
| 2011 | 283,713 | +32.0% |
| source:[8] † 1951 and 1991 populations are estimated | ||
According to the 2011 census, Ramban district has a population of 283,713.[9] roughly equal to the nation of Barbados.[10] This gives it a ranking of 573rd in India (out of a total of 640).[9] The district has a population density of 213 inhabitants per square kilometre (550/sq mi) .[9] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 31.81%.[9]
Social groups
Kashmiris, Pogalis and Gujjars are three major ethnic groups of the Ramban district. Kashmiris make of 34.74%, Pogalis 17.12, and Gujjars 12.19% in district's total population. There are also Pahari and Dogra people in Ramban.
Language
Kashmiri, Pogali and Gujari are three major spoken languages in Ramban district.[12] Kashmiri is the largest language in the district, mainly spoken by Kashmiri Muslims. Second major language is Poguli spoken in the Pogal Paristan area of Banihal which is named as Poguli. Gujari is the 3rd most widely spoken language in Ramban it is mainly spoken by the Muslim Gurjars and Bakarwals.
Pogali a very distinct language placed under the dardic group as classified by Sir Grierson in Linguistic Survey of India 1918 contributes nearly 17% of the population. In Ramban tehsil is spoken Dogri and Pahadi languages. Nepali and Pahadi are the main languages of Hindus in Banihal, while Dogri is a major language in Ramban.[11]
Religion
Sex ratio & literacy rate
Ramban has a sex ratio of 902 females for every 1000 males,[9] and a literacy rate of 54.27%. 4.16% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 4.91% and 14.02% of the population respectively.[9]
| Ramban district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census.[13] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Sikh | Buddhist | Jain | Other | Not stated | Total | |
| Total | 81,026 | 200,516 | 414 | 753 | 43 | 3 | 252 | 706 | 283,713 |
| 28.56% | 70.68% | 0.15% | 0.27% | 0.02% | 0.00% | 0.09% | 0.25% | 100.00% | |
| Male | 43,844 | 104,078 | 253 | 427 | 24 | 2 | 132 | 372 | 149,132 |
| Female | 37,182 | 96,438 | 161 | 326 | 19 | 1 | 120 | 334 | 134,581 |
| Gender ratio (% female) | 45.9% | 48.1% | 38.9% | 43.3% | 44.2% | 33.3% | 47.6% | 47.3% | 47.4% |
| Sex ratio (no. of females per 1,000 males) |
848 | 927 | – | 763 | – | – | – | 898 | 902 |
| Urban | 5,087 | 6,224 | 70 | 405 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 11,811 |
| Rural | 75,939 | 194,292 | 344 | 348 | 42 | 2 | 251 | 684 | 271,902 |
| % Urban | 6.3% | 3.1% | 16.9% | 53.8% | 2.3% | 33.3% | 0.4% | 3.1% | 4.2% |
Administration
Ramban District is divided into eight tehsils: Banihal, Ramban, Khari, Rajgarh, Batote, Gool, Pogal Paristan (Ukhral) and Ramsoo.[14]
Each tehsil has its tehsildar, who is the administrative head. The district consisted of 116 census villages and 127 revenue villages in 2001. The total number of panchayat Halqas in the district was 124.
District Development Council Ramban
In the elections for Ramban's District Development Council, Shamshad Begum was elected chairman and Rabiya Beigh was elected vice-chairman.[15]