Some states like Kerala and Tamilnadu have a very low Total Fertility Rate (TFR), below the replacement level. What is the social-cultural reason behind low TFR in these states?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Increase in levels of education and awareness
Option (3) Increase in levels of education and awareness — Correct. The total fertility rate is the average number of children a woman would bear. The birth rate is a sociocultural phenomenon that is slow to change; once infant mortality rates decline and there is a rise in the levels of education and awareness, family size begins to fall. States such as Tamil Nadu (1.7 in 2016) and Kerala have brought their TFR below the replacement level.
NCERT (2025-26): “2.2 Size and Growth of India’s Population … Unlike the death rate, the birth rate has not registered a sharp fall. This is because the birth rate is a sociocultural phenomenon that is relatively slow to change. By and large, increased levels of prosperity exert a strong downward pull on the birth rate. Once infant mortality rates decline, and there is an overall increase in the levels of education and awareness, family size begins to fall. There are very wide variations in fertility rates across the States of India, as can be seen in Chart 1 (on page no. 13). Some states, like Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have managed to bring down their total fertility rates (TFR) to 1.7 each (2016). This means that the average woman in these states produces only 1.7 children, which is below the ‘replacement level’ and Kerala’s TFR is also below the replacement level, which means that the population is going to decline in future.…” |