_ is a characteristic of the second/transitional stage in population growth of society. (I) High death rate and population explosion (II) Population explosion (III) Low sex ratio (IV) High maternal mortality rate
_ is a characteristic of the second/transitional stage in population growth of society. (I) High death rate and population explosion (II) Population explosion (III) Low sex ratio (IV) High maternal mortality rate
Options
Official answer
The correct option is (B): Only (II) — Population explosion.
Why: In the demographic transition theory, the second (transitional) stage is marked by a sharply falling death rate (due to better healthcare, sanitation and food security) while the birth rate remains high, producing rapid population growth — the 'population explosion'. Statement (I) is self-contradictory since a high death rate would suppress, not cause, population explosion. Low sex ratio and high maternal mortality are not defining features of this specific stage.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark for correctly selecting option (B).
Hint
Stage 2 = death rate falls, birth rate stays high — this gap is what causes the population explosion.
Quick oral answer
The transitional second stage is defined by a falling death rate combined with a still-high birth rate, which together cause a population explosion — so only (II) is correct.
Common mistakes
- 1.Selecting (A) by assuming 'high death rate' and 'population explosion' can coexist — they are opposites in demographic terms.
- 2.Selecting (C) by wrongly including 'low sex ratio' as a transition-stage marker when it is a distinct gender-related demographic issue.
- 3.Not distinguishing between Stage 1 (high birth, high death) and Stage 2 (falling death, high birth) characteristics.
Analysis and explanation
This tests recall and correct application of the three-stage demographic transition model taught in the chapter.
Concept — Three stages of demographic transition:
- Stage 1: High birth rate and high death rate, resulting in slow/stagnant population growth.
- Stage 2 (transitional): Death rate falls rapidly due to improved health and sanitation, but birth rate stays high — causing rapid population growth ('population explosion').
- Stage 3: Both birth rate and death rate become low, growth stabilises.
Why the distractors fail:
- (I) is internally contradictory — a high death rate would reduce net growth, not cause explosion, so it cannot describe Stage 2.
- (III) Low sex ratio is a separate demographic issue linked to gender discrimination, not a defining transition-stage feature.
- (IV) High maternal mortality is more typical of Stage 1 (poor healthcare), not the defining trait of Stage 2.
Exam trap: Students often confuse 'population explosion' with 'high death rate' because both sound alarming, but growth requires death rate to be LOW relative to birth rate.
Interesting facts
India is considered to be moving from Stage 2 towards Stage 3 of the demographic transition, with the death rate having fallen to around 6 per 1000 while the birth rate, though declining, remains comparatively higher.
Kerala has already reached demographic Stage 3 characteristics (low birth and death rates), while some northern states remain closer to Stage 2.
Question details
Q3 of 36 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 12
- Subject
- Sociology
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section A
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- MCQ
- Chapter
- The Demographic Structure of the Indian Society
- Topic
- Stages of Demographic Transition
- Bloom's level
- understand
- Syllabus topic
- Book 1, Ch 2: The Demographic Structure of the Indian Society — Theory of Demographic Transition
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
What are the three stages of demographic transition?
Stage 1 has high birth and death rates with slow growth; Stage 2 (transitional) has a falling death rate but still-high birth rate, causing rapid growth (population explosion); Stage 3 has both birth and death rates low, with stable, slow growth.
Why does the death rate fall before the birth rate in the transitional stage?
Death rates fall quickly once modern medicine, vaccination, sanitation and food security become available, while birth rates take longer to fall because they depend on slower-changing social attitudes towards family size, education and women's autonomy.