MAINS 2015
GS1
12.5 marks
Critically examine whether growing population is the cause of poverty OR poverty is the main cause of population increase in India.
WRITE IN
9 min
200 words
What the examiner wants
Examine whether population growth causes poverty or poverty drives population growth in India.
Critically examineWeigh the strengths and the weaknesses, then give a balanced verdict.
Demand-wise check
- 1Population → poverty: pressure on land, jobs, public services (Malthusian view)≈35 words
- 2Poverty → population: high child mortality, children as old-age security and labour, low female education, poor contraceptive access≈35 words
- 3Evidence: Kerala and Tamil Nadu cut fertility through education and health; Bihar and UP lag with higher poverty≈35 words
- 4Two-way link; development as the break-point; demographic dividend if jobs grow≈35 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Two viewsEvidence from statesTwo-way relationPolicy implicationConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Taking one side without examining the other
- Missing state-level evidence
Draw this
- Vicious-circle diagram linking poverty, high fertility, low human capital
Value addition
- Quote'Development is the best contraceptive' - Karan Singh at the World Population Conference, Bucharest, 1974.Bucharest, 1974
- DataNFHS-5 (2019-21): TFR 2.0 nationally, about 3.0 in Bihar and 1.8 in Kerala.NFHS-5 (2019-21)
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 29 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 13 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 15 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 38 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 9 minutes, then get it checked.