Population Growth

Correct answer: B. Twenty percent

The direct answer is B: twenty percent. First find the increase: current population minus previous population equals 36 lakh minus 30 lakh, or 6 lakh. Next use the growth-percentage formula: growth percentage = increase divided by previous population, multiplied by 100. Thus, 6 divided by 30 times 100 equals 20%. The unit lakh cancels because both numbers use the same unit. A is wrong because 10% of 30 lakh is 3 lakh, not 6 lakh. B is correct because 6 lakh is one-fifth of 30 lakh, and one-fifth equals 20%. C is wrong because 30% of 30 lakh would be 9 lakh. D is wrong because the increase is 6 lakh, but 6 is not the percentage. Memory cue: subtract first, divide by the old value, then multiply by 100.

Correct answer: A. To understand future demand for services and resources

The direct answer is A: population-growth study helps planners understand future demand for services and resources. Population size and its rate of change affect how much water, food, housing, transport, schools, hospitals and employment may be needed. Planners can use population information to estimate where facilities should be built and how many people they must serve. A is correct because development planning must match available resources and public services with present and expected population. B is wrong because river colour is not the purpose of demographic planning. C is wrong because soil smell does not indicate future needs for people. D is wrong because planning cannot reduce the age of a mountain. Memory cue: population data helps plan people’s needs before demand becomes a crisis.

Correct answer: A. Pressure on housing

Direct answer: A, pressure on housing. First understand the comparison: the number of people is increasing quickly, but houses are being built or provided slowly. When more families need homes than the available housing can accommodate, demand becomes greater than supply. This may lead to overcrowding, higher rents, informal settlements, or people living in unsuitable conditions. Option A is correct because it describes the direct result of a population–housing mismatch. Option B is wrong because population growth does not lengthen a river. Option C is wrong because housing shortage does not make births zero. Option D is wrong because a city’s geographical area does not simply disappear. Memory cue: fast population growth plus slow facilities means infrastructure pressure.

Correct answer: A. Ten lakh

Direct answer: A, ten lakh. Absolute growth means the actual numerical increase between two population figures. It is not the later population and it is not a percentage. Step 1: identify the later population, 60 lakh. Step 2: identify the earlier population, 50 lakh. Step 3: subtract earlier from later: 60 lakh − 50 lakh = 10 lakh. Therefore, the population increased by ten lakh during the decade. Option A is correct. Option B, twenty lakh, results from an incorrect subtraction. Option C is only the earlier population, so it does not show the increase. Option D is the later population, not the change. Memory cue: absolute growth = final population − initial population.

Correct answer: A. Rate shows percentage and absolute growth shows actual number

Direct answer: A. Absolute growth tells us the actual numerical change, usually found by subtracting the earlier population from the later population. For example, a change from 50 lakh to 60 lakh is an absolute growth of 10 lakh. Growth rate expresses the change relative to a base population, commonly as a percentage over a specified period. Thus two areas may have the same absolute increase but different rates if their starting populations differ. Option A is correct. B is wrong because neither term means only birth rate. C is wrong because these are population measures, not area. D is wrong because both can be calculated. Memory cue: absolute growth is a number; growth rate is a proportion or percentage.

Correct answer: A. Land, food and employment

Direct answer: A. A rapidly growing population increases the number of people needing food, land, housing, and livelihoods. If agricultural land is limited, the available land must support more people, while food production and employment opportunities may not increase at the same speed. This can create pressure on land, food supply, and jobs and may encourage competition or dependence on other sources. Option A is correct because these are directly connected resources and needs. B, C, and D are wrong because river colour, mountain age, and soil smell are not the main demographic pressures described by the situation. Memory cue: high population plus limited land means greater pressure on resources and livelihoods.

Correct answer: B. Twenty percent

Direct answer: Option B, twenty percent, is correct. Growth percentage compares the increase with the previous or initial population. First find the increase: current population − previous population = 48 lakh − 40 lakh = 8 lakh. Next divide the increase by the previous population: 8 ÷ 40 = 0.2. Finally multiply by 100: 0.2 × 100 = 20%. The lakh units cancel because both populations use the same unit. Option A, 10%, is too small and does not come from the correct calculation. Option B is correct because 8 lakh is one-fifth of 40 lakh, and one-fifth equals 20%. Option C, 8%, confuses the numerical increase of 8 lakh with the percentage increase. Option D, 40%, incorrectly uses the old population as the percentage. Memory cue: growth percentage = (increase ÷ original population) × 100.

Correct answer: A. Three per thousand

The direct answer is A: three per thousand. Natural increase measures the change caused by births and deaths alone; migration is not included. Use the formula: natural increase rate = birth rate − death rate. Here, the birth rate is 12 per thousand and the death rate is 9 per thousand. Subtract step by step: 12 − 9 = 3 per thousand. Therefore, the natural increase rate is 3 per thousand. Option A is correct. Option B, 9 per thousand, is only the death rate and does not show the difference between births and deaths. Option C, 12 per thousand, is only the birth rate and ignores deaths. Option D, 21 per thousand, results from adding the two rates, but deaths reduce population, so they must be subtracted. A useful warning is that total population growth may also include net migration, but this question asks for natural increase only. Memory cue: births add, deaths subtract.

Correct answer: B. Positive

The direct answer is B: natural increase will be positive. Natural increase is calculated as birth rate minus death rate. The question says that the death rate has risen, but the birth rate is still higher than the death rate. Therefore, after subtracting deaths from births, the result remains greater than zero. For example, if births were 20 per thousand and deaths were 12 per thousand, natural increase would be 8 per thousand, which is positive. Option A is wrong because natural increase is negative only when the death rate is higher than the birth rate. Option B is correct because births still exceed deaths. Option C is wrong because the rates are not equal. Option D is wrong because the information is sufficient to identify the sign of the result, even though exact numbers are not given. Memory cue: birth rate greater than death rate means positive natural increase.

Correct answer: A. Nine lakh

The direct answer is A: nine lakh. Absolute growth means the actual numerical increase in population. It is found by subtracting the previous population from the current population. Write the values in the same unit: current population = 69 lakh and previous population = 60 lakh. Now subtract: 69 lakh − 60 lakh = 9 lakh. Therefore, the absolute growth is 9 lakh people. Option A is correct because it gives the difference between the two populations. Option B is only the previous population, not the increase. Option C is the current population itself, not the amount added. Option D comes from adding 60 lakh and 69 lakh, but absolute growth requires subtraction, not addition. Do not confuse absolute growth with growth rate: absolute growth is expressed as a number of people, while growth rate is usually expressed as a percentage or a rate per thousand. Memory cue: absolute growth = current population − previous population.

Correct answer: B. 700

The direct answer is B, 700. Population growth has two parts: natural increase and net migration. First calculate natural increase by subtracting deaths from births: 4,200 − 2,600 = 1,600. Net migration is negative 900, which means 900 more people leave than enter, so it reduces the population. Therefore, total growth = natural increase + net migration = 1,600 + (−900) = 700. A is wrong because it gives only the natural increase and ignores migration. B is correct because it includes the negative migration. C is wrong because it adds births and does not subtract deaths or migration correctly. D is wrong because it does not follow the population-growth formula. Memory cue: births minus deaths, then add migration with its sign.

Correct answer: B. 1 lakh

The direct answer is B, 1 lakh. Absolute increase means the actual number of people added, not the percentage itself. Convert 2% into a fraction: 2/100. Now multiply it by the base population: (2/100) × 50 lakh = 1 lakh. Thus, the population increases by 1 lakh people. A is wrong because 50 thousand is only half of the calculated increase. B is correct. C is wrong because it treats 2% of 50 lakh as 2 lakh; that would be 4%. D is wrong because 10 lakh would represent 20% of 50 lakh. The base population is essential because the same percentage produces different numerical increases on different bases. Memory cue: percentage increase = rate × base population.

Correct answer: A. Change in population number during a fixed period

Correct answer: A. Population growth means the change in the number of people living in a place over a specified period. The change may be an increase or, in some contexts, a decrease. It can result from births and deaths, and it can also be affected by migration. To measure it properly, we need a starting population, an ending population and a time interval. A is correct because it gives both essential ideas: population number and time. B describes a change in area, not people. C describes literacy change, which is a social indicator but not population growth itself. D concerns administrative boundaries; changing a boundary can alter the counted population without representing natural growth. Memory cue: population growth always asks, “How did the number of people change over time?”

Correct answer: A. When the difference in total people between two censuses is large

Correct answer: A. Absolute population growth is the simple numerical difference between the population at the end and the population at the beginning of a period. In census-based comparison, it can be written as: later population minus earlier population. A large positive difference means higher absolute growth, regardless of the percentage rate. For example, an increase from 1,000,000 to 1,200,000 is an absolute increase of 200,000 people. A is correct because it directly describes a large difference in total population. B may change density but does not by itself show population growth. C changes a cultural characteristic, not the number of people. D changes how a map is displayed, not the population. Memory cue: absolute growth counts the actual additional people; percentage growth expresses change relative to the earlier population.

Correct answer: A. Growth will be rapid

Correct answer: A. Natural increase is the difference between the number of births and the number of deaths in a population. When births are high and deaths are low, births exceed deaths, so the natural increase is positive and population growth generally becomes faster. Migration can also affect the final population change, but it does not alter the basic conclusion about natural increase in the situation described. A is correct because it follows directly from births being greater than deaths. B would be possible only if births and deaths were equal, or if other factors offset the increase. C is opposite to the expected natural change. D is incorrect because a growing population can influence density when the area remains unchanged, although density is a separate measure. Memory cue: high births plus low deaths usually means a strong natural increase.

Correct answer: A. Because it gives official population data at regular intervals

Answer: A, because a census provides official population data at regular intervals. A census is a systematic counting and description of the people of a country or area. By comparing the population recorded in different censuses, geographers can calculate absolute growth, growth rate, density, and changes in distribution or composition. It therefore supplies a common and reliable base for studying population trends and planning services. B is wrong because weather observation is not the main purpose of a census. C is a hydrological measurement, not a population count. D is unrelated to demographic enumeration. Remember: a census is a population source; it does not merely provide an estimate based on one small sample.

Correct answer: A. 1921

Answer: A, 1921. In the study of India's population history, 1921 is called the year of the great divide because the broad population-growth pattern changed after this year. The earlier period was marked by very slow or irregular growth, influenced by high death rates, epidemics, famines, and other difficult conditions. After 1921, the population generally began to grow more steadily as mortality conditions improved, although the pace varied in different periods. B, 1901, is not the standard year identified as the great divide. C, 1951, is important for the beginning of the post-Independence census period, but it is not the great-divide year. D, 2011, is the latest option here and a census year, not the historical dividing point. Memory cue: in Indian population geography, remember “1921: great divide.”

Correct answer: A. Population growth increases

Answer: A, population growth increases, assuming other conditions such as migration do not offset the change. Natural increase is determined by births minus deaths. If the birth rate stays unchanged and the death rate falls, the difference between births and deaths becomes larger. More people survive, so the population grows more rapidly through natural increase. B reverses the relationship and is therefore wrong; a lower death rate does not always reduce growth. C is impossible because a fall in deaths does not remove the population. D is unrelated: migration can still occur whether the death rate rises or falls. For example, if births are 25 per 1,000 and deaths fall from 15 to 10 per 1,000, natural increase rises from 10 to 15 per 1,000. Memory cue: same births minus fewer deaths equals greater natural increase.

Correct answer: A. Pressure on housing and basic services

Answer: A is correct. Rapid population growth means that the number of people increases quickly. In an urban area, this can create greater demand for houses, drinking water, drainage, sanitation, schools, hospitals, roads and public transport. If services do not expand at the same speed, existing facilities become overcrowded and pressure increases. A is correct because housing and basic services must serve the growing number of residents. B is wrong because sea tides are controlled mainly by gravitational effects and are not ended by urban population growth. C is wrong because the length of the day is related to Earth's rotation, not city population. D is wrong because minerals do not form immediately because more people live in a city. Memory cue: more urban residents mean more demand for homes and services.

Correct answer: A. When the number of births equals the number of deaths.

The correct answer is A. Natural increase means the change caused only by births and deaths; migration is not included in this specific measure. The basic relationship is natural increase = number of births − number of deaths. If births and deaths are equal, their difference is zero, so the population has zero natural increase. This does not necessarily mean that the total population remains unchanged, because immigration or emigration could still alter it. A is correct because it gives the exact condition. B is wrong because migration affects total population change, not natural increase. C is wrong because a census counts people but does not itself create births or deaths. D is wrong because a larger area changes the size of the territory, not the number of people. Memory cue: natural means births and deaths only; equal numbers give zero.

Correct answer: A. It helps estimate needs for schools, hospitals, jobs and food.

The correct answer is A. Economic planning means deciding how available resources, money and infrastructure should be developed to meet people’s needs. Population growth changes the expected demand for schools, hospitals, teachers, doctors, houses, food, water, transport and employment. Planners use population size, age structure, distribution and growth trends to estimate how many services may be needed and where they should be provided. A is correct because population information supports forecasts and resource allocation. B is wrong because mountain formation belongs to physical geography, not the planning use of population data. C is wrong because cyclone direction is a weather and atmospheric matter. D is wrong because population planning does not make farming irrelevant; agriculture remains important for food and livelihoods. Memory cue: population data helps match resources with people’s future needs.

Correct answer: A. Because people can enter or leave an area in large numbers in a short time.

The correct answer is A. Migration is the movement of people from one place to another. In-migration adds people to the destination area, while out-migration removes people from the origin area. Unlike births and deaths, which are spread over time, a migration event can bring or remove many people within a relatively short period. This can suddenly change the population size and create new demands for housing, transport, schools, jobs and health services. A is correct because it describes the direct numerical effect of migration. B is wrong because migration does not automatically stop births. C is wrong because the death rate may change and its constancy is not the reason migration has a quick effect. D is wrong because migration does not make climate disappear. Also remember that migration changes total population, not natural increase, which is based only on births and deaths. Memory cue: arrivals add and departures subtract quickly.

Correct answer: C. 25 percent

The correct answer is C: 25 percent. First find the absolute increase: 120 lakh − 96 lakh = 24 lakh. Percentage growth is calculated using the initial population as the base, not the final population. Therefore, percentage growth = (increase ÷ initial population) × 100 = (24 ÷ 96) × 100 = 25%. Option A is wrong because 20% would mean an increase of only 19.2 lakh over 96 lakh. Option B gives the increase in lakh, not the percentage. Option C correctly gives the percentage growth. Option D is too high; 30% of 96 lakh would be 28.8 lakh. Memory cue: percentage change always uses the original value as the denominator.

Correct answer: B. Decrease of 8 lakh and 10 percent decline

The correct answer is B: a decrease of 8 lakh and a 10 percent decline. Subtract the final population from the initial population: 80 lakh − 72 lakh = 8 lakh. Since the final value is smaller, this is a decrease, not growth. Now use the initial population as the base: (8 ÷ 80) × 100 = 10%. Option A has the correct amount but the wrong direction; the population did not increase. Option B correctly states both the amount and the direction. Option C incorrectly treats the final population as the change. Option D adds the two populations, but change is found by subtraction. Memory cue: a smaller final value means decline, and percentage change is divided by the starting value.

Correct answer: A. Total population will keep increasing but more slowly

The correct answer is A. A positive growth rate means that the population is still increasing. If the rate is falling, the speed of increase is becoming slower, but the direction remains upward as long as the rate stays above zero. For example, growth of 3% followed by 2% still represents growth, only at a slower pace. Option A correctly separates direction from speed. Option B would be correct only if the growth rate became negative, not merely lower while remaining positive. Option C has no mathematical basis. Option D is unrelated; population density still means people per unit area. Memory cue: positive means increase; falling means slower increase, not automatic decrease.