P. N. Mari Bhat
Encyclopedia
P. N. Mari Bhat distinguished India
n demographer, was a student of Samuel H. Preston
at the University of Pennsylvania
from where he received his Ph.D.
in 1987. At the time of his death he was the director of the International Institute of Population Science (IIPS) in Mumbai
, which he formerly attended as a student.
, 1987-90. From there he moved on to become the director of the Population Research Center, Dharwad
, between 1991 and 1997. Pravin Visaria (1937-2001), the then Director of Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi
persuaded Bhat to move to New Delhi and join IEG as a Professor. Bhat joined IIPS in 2005 as its Director.
He was a Visiting Professor at the University of Manitoba
, Winnipeg
, Canada
, in 1996.
, fertility
and nuptiality. In his research he always emphasized the primacy of facts and the importance of opinion to be based on facts. Beginning with his first major work, a monograph on Indian vital rates for 1961-81 co-authored with Tim Dyson and Samuel Preston and published in 1984 by the National Academy of Science, he showed exceptional grasp of technical demography, and was able to apply his skills in illuminating issues of public and policy concern.
His work could be classified under two headings: the first, work dealing with the compilation and derivation of various demographic estimates and related methodologies; and second, work dealing with various theoretical issues.
Bhat’s work provides an unparalleled source for Indian demographic data. Below are the selected references that show the breadth of his work on demographic estimates:
Besides demographic estimates, Bhat’s work covered various theoretical issues in demography. His work on fertility examined the role of education, regional fertility variation and the religious differences in fertility. Selected references for his work in this area are as follows:
He also explored how fertility decline impacted sex ratios, that is whether preference for smaller families reduced the preference for sons in India.
His major work on nuptiality in India dealt with the impact of marriage squeeze on marriage age and rates. He and his co-author (S. Halli) proposed five new indicators that allow the examination of the influence of marriage squeeze on marriage rates.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n demographer, was a student of Samuel H. Preston
Samuel H. Preston
Samuel H. Preston is an American demographer and sociologist. He is currently a Fredrick J. Warren Professor of Demography at the University of Pennsylvania....
at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
from where he received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1987. At the time of his death he was the director of the International Institute of Population Science (IIPS) in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, which he formerly attended as a student.
Professional career
P. N. Mari Bhat was an associate professor at the Center of Developmental Studies, ThiruvananthapuramThiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
, 1987-90. From there he moved on to become the director of the Population Research Center, Dharwad
Dharwad
Dharwad, also known as Dharwar, is a city and a DISTRICT PLACE in India's Karnataka state.Dharwad is the administrative seat of the Dharwad District. The municipality of Hubli-Dharwad covers an area of 200.23 km²...
, between 1991 and 1997. Pravin Visaria (1937-2001), the then Director of Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
persuaded Bhat to move to New Delhi and join IEG as a Professor. Bhat joined IIPS in 2005 as its Director.
He was a Visiting Professor at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in 1996.
Research
Bhat’s research career was focused exclusively on Indian demography. His work covered three major areas of Indian demography: mortalityMortality rate
Mortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths in a population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit time...
, fertility
Fertility
Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
and nuptiality. In his research he always emphasized the primacy of facts and the importance of opinion to be based on facts. Beginning with his first major work, a monograph on Indian vital rates for 1961-81 co-authored with Tim Dyson and Samuel Preston and published in 1984 by the National Academy of Science, he showed exceptional grasp of technical demography, and was able to apply his skills in illuminating issues of public and policy concern.
His work could be classified under two headings: the first, work dealing with the compilation and derivation of various demographic estimates and related methodologies; and second, work dealing with various theoretical issues.
Bhat’s work provides an unparalleled source for Indian demographic data. Below are the selected references that show the breadth of his work on demographic estimates:
- 1984: Estimating the Incidence of Widow and Widower Remarriages in India from Census Data ("Population Studies", 38, 1, pp 89-103, co-authored with R Kanbargi).
- 1990: Fertility and Mortality in Colonial India ("Economic and Political Weekly, 25 (37): 2107-08).
- 1998: Demographic Estimates for Post-Independence India: A New Integration (Demography India, 27(1), 23-27).
- 2002: Maternal Mortality in India: An Update ("Studies in Family Planning", 33(3): 227-36).
- 2004: Indian Demographic Scenario: Vision 2020 in "Planning Commission (ed), India Vision 2020: The Report", Academic Foundation, New Delhi
Besides demographic estimates, Bhat’s work covered various theoretical issues in demography. His work on fertility examined the role of education, regional fertility variation and the religious differences in fertility. Selected references for his work in this area are as follows:
- 1996: Contours of Fertility Decline in India: A District-level Study Based on the 1991 Census in K Srinivasan (ed.), Population Policy and Reproductive Health, Hindustan Publications, New Delhi.
- 2002: Returning a Favour: Reciprocity between Female Education and Fertility in India ("World Development", 30(10):1791-1803).
- 2005: Role of Religion in Fertility Decline: The Case of Indian Muslims ("Economic and Political Weekly", 40(5): 385-402; co-authored with F. Zavier)
He also explored how fertility decline impacted sex ratios, that is whether preference for smaller families reduced the preference for sons in India.
- 1997: Fertility Decline and Increased Manifestation of Sex Bias in India ("Population Studies, 51(3): 307-15; co-authored with Monica Das Gupta).
- 2003: Fertility Decline and Gender Bias in Northern India ("Demography", 40(4): 637-57; co-authored with F. Zavier)
His major work on nuptiality in India dealt with the impact of marriage squeeze on marriage age and rates. He and his co-author (S. Halli) proposed five new indicators that allow the examination of the influence of marriage squeeze on marriage rates.
- 1999: Demography of Brideprice and Dowry: Causes and Consequences of the Indian Marriage Squeeze ("Population Studies, 53:129-48; co-authored with S.S Halli).
Administrative contribution
Mari Bhat played a key role in the implementation of the third round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3, 2005-6). In recognition of his contribution, the final report of the survey is dedicated in his memory.Sources
- P N Mari Bhat: An Intellectual Tribute ("Economic and Political Weekly", 3611-15, 8 September 2007: Monica Das Gupta, Samuel H Preston, Vijayendra Rao, T V Sekher); contains a complete bibliography of his work and a discussion of his contributions to Indian demography