Question

Describe various factors responsible for explosive population growth in India.

Hint:

Separate the causes into what pushed the death rate down and what kept the birth rate up.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
A population grows rapidly when its birth rate stays much higher than its death rate for a long stretch of time. India's population growth in the last century is a clear case of this imbalance.

Step 2: List the main factors.
A steep fall in the death rate happened because of major advances in medicine, better healthcare access, and control of epidemic diseases.
The maternal mortality rate (MMR) dropped sharply due to improved healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth, so more mothers survive to have more children over their lifetime.
The infant mortality rate (IMR) also fell, meaning more babies now survive to adulthood, adding directly to population numbers.
The number of people in the reproductive age group (15 to 44 years) has grown very large, so even a modest birth rate per person still produces a huge total number of births.
Illiteracy, lack of awareness about family planning methods, and early marriage practices keep the birth rate itself relatively high in many regions.

Final Answer:
India's explosive population growth comes mainly from a falling death rate, falling MMR and IMR, a very large reproductive-age population, and continued high birth rates linked to illiteracy and limited use of family planning.