QUESTION 7
GS1
10 marks
What is the concept of a 'demographic winter'? Is the world moving towards such a situation? Elaborate.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Explain what a demographic winter is and assess whether the world is heading towards it.
ElaborateAnswer exactly what the question asks.
Demand-wise check
- 1Meaning: long-term fertility below replacement (2.1), shrinking and ageing population≈35 words
- 2Evidence: Japan, South Korea (TFR below 1), Europe, China's population decline since 2022≈35 words
- 3Global and Indian position: India's TFR 2.0 (NFHS-5), regional variation; the world as a whole still growing≈35 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
DefineCountries already in demographic winterGlobal trendIndia's positionPolicy responsesConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Defining the term without saying whether the world is moving towards it
- No TFR data
Draw this
- Line graph of TFR over time for Japan, South Korea, China, India
Value addition
- DataIndia's total fertility rate fell to 2.0 in NFHS-5 (2019–21), below replacement level.National Family Health Survey-5
- DataUN World Population Prospects 2024 projects world population to peak at about 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s and then decline.UN World Population Prospects 2024
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 13 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 15 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 29 ↗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 7 minutes, then get it checked.