SSC Stenographer 2026 PYQ — Question 11

Solution: The correct answer is High fertility in northern and eastern India.

Explanation:
☛ Population Doubling Time is the number of years required for a given population to double in size at its current annual growth rate.
☛ A low doubling time indicates a very rapid rate of population growth, because the fewer the years required to double, the faster the population is expanding.
☛ According to the demographic 'Rule of 70', doubling time is approximately calculated by dividing 70 by the annual percentage growth rate (Doubling Time ≈ 70 / r).
☛ In India, northern and eastern states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand have recorded higher Total Fertility Rates (TFR), leading to rapid demographic expansion and shorter doubling periods.

Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Replacement Level Fertility: The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next without migration is 2.1 children per woman.
☛ NFHS-5 (2019-21): India's national Total Fertility Rate (TFR) declined to 2.0, which is below the replacement level of 2.1.
☛ Demographic Transition Theory: States with high birth rates and falling death rates exhibit the characteristics of the second stage of demographic transition.
☛ Southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have long achieved below-replacement TFR, leading to longer population doubling times and stable growth rates.

Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ What mathematical rule is commonly used to estimate population doubling time? → Rule of 70
☛ Which Indian state recorded the highest Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in NFHS-5? → Bihar (approx. 2.98)
☛ What is the benchmark Total Fertility Rate considered as replacement level? → 2.1
☛ Which year is regarded as the 'Great Divide' in the demographic history of India? → 1921
☛ What was India's decadal population growth rate during the 2001–2011 Census? → 17.7%