Population Explosion — India 350 Million (1947) to 1.2 Billion (2011)
📚 Practice ConceptIn the last century an all-round development in various fields significantly improved the quality of life of the people. However, increased health facilities along with better living conditions had an explosive impact on the growth of population. The world population which was around 2 billion (2000 million) in 1900 rocketed to about 6 billion by 2000 and 7.2 billion in 2011. A similar trend was observed in India too. Our population which was approximately 350 million at the time of our independence reached close to the billion mark by 2000 and crossed 1.2 billion in May 2011. A rapid decline in death rate, maternal mortality rate (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) as well as an increase in number of people in reproducible age are probable reasons for this. Through our Reproductive Child Health (RCH) programme, though we could bring down the population growth rate, it was only marginal. According to the 2011 census report, the population growth rate was less than 2 per cent, i.e., 20/1000/year, a rate at which our population could increase rapidly. Such an alarming growth rate could lead to an absolute scarcity of even the basic requirements, i.e., food, shelter and clothing, in spite of significant progress made in those areas. Therefore, the government was forced to take up serious measures to check this population growth rate.
India's population growth was driven solely by a rise in birth rate; death rate and infant mortality rate played no role.
Growth drivers were DECLINING death rate + DECLINING MMR + DECLINING IMR + RISING reproductive-age population — NOT rising birth rate.
India: 350 mn (1947) → 1 bn (2000) → 1.2 bn (2011). Drivers: ↓DR ↓MMR ↓IMR ↑reproductive age. Growth rate 2011 < 2%/yr.
- World population: ~2 billion in 1900 → ~6 billion by 2000 → 7.2 billion in 2011.
- India population: ~350 million in 1947 → ~1 billion in 2000 → 1.2 billion in May 2011.
- Growth drivers: ↓ death rate + ↓ MMR + ↓ IMR + ↑ reproductive-age population.
- 2011 census growth rate < 2% per year (≈ 20/1000/year). RCH programme reduced growth only marginally.
Assertion (A): India has experienced rapid population growth in recent decades. Reason (R): A rapid decline in death rate, maternal mortality rate (MMR), and infant mortality rate (IMR), along with an increase in the number of people in reproductive age, are probable reasons for this growth.
View bonus solution & explanation
Correct answer: A — Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Assertion TRUE: India's population grew from ~350 million in 1947 to 1.2 billion by May 2011 — about 3.4× in 64 years. Reason TRUE: NCERT exact — declining DR + declining MMR + declining IMR + increasing reproductive-age population are the probable reasons for India's population explosion. The Reason directly explains WHY assertion is true (demographic transition factors increased survival and added more reproductively active people). Both true AND R correctly explains A → answer A.
What is Population Explosion?
What did NEET previous years ask on Population Explosion?
What is the most common NEET trap on Population Explosion?
How do you remember Population Explosion for NEET?
What are the key components of Population Explosion?
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 88 of 90 questions from the NEET 2026 paper were matched straight from the MedicNEET Biology question bank.
88/90MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.