Factors which lead to the decline in birth rates:
(A) Increase level of prosperity
(B) Increase in level of education
(C) Decline in Infant mortality rate
(D) Increase preference for sons
Choose correct answer from options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (A), (B) and (C) only
(A) Increase level of prosperity Correct. Increased levels of prosperity exert a strong downward pull on the birth rate.
(B) Increase in level of education Correct. With a general increase in the levels of education and awareness, family size begins to fall.
(C) Decline in Infant mortality rate Correct. Once infant mortality rates decline, family size begins to fall as well. The birth rate is a socio-cultural matter that changes slowly, and these three changes together bring it down.
(D) Increase preference for sons Incorrect. Son preference comes from social norms that value males much more than females. It leads to the neglect of girl babies and a declining sex ratio; it is not a factor that lowers the birth rate.
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.…” “Common Concepts and Indicators … However, it has been found that the sex ratio has been declining in some countries like China, South Korea and specially India. This phenomenon has been linked to prevailing social norms that tend to value males much more than females, which leads to ‘son preference’ and the relative neglect of girl babies.…” |