What is the main reason for the high population growth in India?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
High birth rate
Explanation
The primary driver of high population growth in India is a high birth rate combined with a rapidly declining death rate. This imbalance creates a large natural increase in the population. Over the last few decades, advancements in healthcare, better control over epidemics, and improved nutritional access have significantly brought down the mortality (death) rate, while the birth rate has historically remained high due to socio-economic factors such as early marriage, universal marriage customs, and a preference for male children in several regions.
While a low literacy rate contributes to a lack of awareness regarding family planning, the direct mathematical cause of population growth is the high birth rate itself. High migration (international movement into India) plays an insignificant role in India's total population growth compared to the natural birth-over-death surplus.
Key Points
Demographic transition in India is currently in a phase where the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is steadily decreasing toward replacement levels, yet the population continues to grow due to 'population momentum'—a phenomenon where a large youthful base ensures a high absolute number of births even if individual families choose to have fewer children. Economic factors, such as viewing children as additional hands for labor or as security for old age in agrarian setups, have traditionally kept birth rates elevated.
Important Questions and Answers
Question: What demographic term describes a continued population growth despite a fall in fertility rates due to a large concentration of people in childbearing ages?
Answer: Population momentum.
Question: Which major factor has been primarily responsible for the drastic decline in India's death rate over the 20th and 21st centuries?
Answer: Advancements in medical science, healthcare infrastructure, and epidemic control.