Assertion: Malthus believed that the ‘positive checks’ to population growth in the form of famines and diseases are inevitable. Reason: Famines and diseases are nature’s way of dealing with the imbalance between food supply and increasing population.

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A A is false R is true A is true R is false.

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

According to Malthus, population growth always outstrips growth in production of subsistence resources, the only way to increase prosperity is by controlling the growth of population. Unfortunately, humanity has only a limited ability to voluntarily reduce the growth of its population (through ‘preventive checks’ such as postponing marriage or practicing sexual abstinence or celibacy). Malthus believed therefore that ‘positive checks’ to population growth – in the form of famines and diseases – were inevitable because they were nature’s way of dealing with the imbalance between food supply and increasing population.