In the argument on India's demographic window, which step links 'Indi…

The correct answer is Option (1) → The rate of growth of employment for working men in their youth fell sharply

Option (1) The rate of growth of employment for working men in their youth fell sharply — Correct. The link is jobs. Employment growth for men aged 15-30 fell from about 2.4 per cent a year to 0.7 (rural) and 0.3 per cent (urban), so young workers exist but new jobs for them are not growing.

Option (2) The share of children in the population kept rising decade after decade — Incorrect. A rising share of children is not a step in this argument. The window rests on a large working-age group, and the step that shows it is wasted is about employment.

Option (3) The proportion of the aged rose sharply, creating a large dependent generation — Incorrect. A large aged, dependent generation describes an ageing society. The argument names no such rise; the problem it names is the lack of jobs.

Option (4) The total dependency ratio rose steadily over the last few decades — Incorrect. A rising dependency ratio would mean fewer workers for each dependant, which would shrink the window itself. The argument instead moves from young workers to falling job growth.