21 multiple-choice (MCQ / objective) questions from this chapter, in every exam-style shape used in the paper. Every question comes with an explanation along with the answer, so you remember why the option is correct, not just which one it is.
1 Direct Questions
Direct Questions
- 1 markAt what interval is population data collected through the Census in India?
(A) Every 10 years(B) Every 5 years(C) Every 15 years(D) Every 20 years - 1 markAccording to the 2011 Census, which state has the highest population in India?
(A) Bihar(B) Maharashtra(C) Uttar Pradesh(D) West Bengal - 1 markWhat was the density of population in India in 2011?
(A) 282 persons per sq km(B) 482 persons per sq km(C) 117 persons per sq km(D) 382 persons per sq km - 1 markWhere is the density of population highest in India (2011)?
(A) Mumbai(B) Kolkata(C) National Capital Territory of Delhi(D) Chennai - 1 markWhat is the annual growth rate of India’s population (2011)?
(A) 2.2%(B) 0.31%(C) 17.64%(D) 1.64% - 1 markAccording to the World Development Report, what will India’s population touch by 2025?
(A) 1,210 million(B) 1,350 million(C) 1,500 million(D) 1,000 million - 1 markWhat is the share of adolescents (10-19 years) in India’s population (2011)?
(A) 25.9%(B) 10.9%(C) 15.9%(D) 20.9%
2 Assertion-Reason
Assertion-Reason
- 1 markAssertion (A): The density of population in India is a crude measure of the man-land relationship.
Reason (R): Density relates the total population only to the total area, so it does not show the pressure of population on the total cultivable land.
(A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A(B) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A(C) A is true, but R is false(D) A is false, but R is true - 1 markAssertion (A): India’s rural population (68.8%) is far greater than its urban population (31.16%).
Reason (R): Urban population in India is growing at a slower rate than rural population.
(A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A(B) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A(C) A is true, but R is false(D) A is false, but R is true
3 Match the Following
Match the Following
- 1 markMatch List-I (Language family) with List-II (Share of speakers, Table 1.2):
(i) Austric (ii) Dravidian (iii) Sino-Tibetan (iv) Indo-European (Aryan)
1) 73% 2) 20% 3) 1.38% 4) 0.85%
(A) (i)-1, (ii)-2, (iii)-3, (iv)-4(B) (i)-3, (ii)-4, (iii)-2, (iv)-1(C) (i)-3, (ii)-2, (iii)-4, (iv)-1(D) (i)-2, (ii)-3, (iii)-1, (iv)-4 - 1 markMatch List-I (Religious community) with List-II (% of total population, 2011):
(i) Hindus (ii) Muslims (iii) Christians (iv) Sikhs
1) 14.2% 2) 79.8% 3) 1.7% 4) 2.3%
(A) (i)-2, (ii)-1, (iii)-4, (iv)-3(B) (i)-1, (ii)-2, (iii)-3, (iv)-4(C) (i)-2, (ii)-4, (iii)-1, (iv)-3(D) (i)-4, (ii)-1, (iii)-2, (iv)-3 - 1 markMatch List-I (State) with List-II (Density of population 2011, persons per sq km):
(i) Bihar (ii) Kerala (iii) Uttar Pradesh (iv) Tamil Nadu
1) 828 2) 555 3) 1,102 4) 859
(A) (i)-1, (ii)-2, (iii)-3, (iv)-4(B) (i)-3, (ii)-4, (iii)-1, (iv)-2(C) (i)-3, (ii)-1, (iii)-4, (iv)-2(D) (i)-4, (ii)-3, (iii)-2, (iv)-1
4 Statement-Based Questions
Statement-Based Questions
- 1 markConsider the following statements:
Statement I: In India, the proportion of rural population is greater than the urban population (2011).
Statement II: Except for Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the Union Territories have a smaller proportion of rural population.
(A) Only Statement I is correct(B) Both statements are correct(C) Only Statement II is correct(D) Both statements are incorrect
5 Arrange in the Correct Order
Arrange in the Correct Order
- 1 markArrange the following in chronological order: (i) Density of population recorded at 382 persons per sq km (ii) First complete Census of India (iii) Density of population recorded at 117 persons per sq km (iv) First population Census of India
(A) (ii), (iv), (iii), (i)(B) (i), (iii), (ii), (iv)(C) (iv), (iii), (ii), (i)(D) (iv), (ii), (iii), (i) - 1 markArrange the following decades from Table 1.1 in descending order of their decadal growth rate (highest to lowest): (i) 1961-71 (ii) 1991-2001 (iii) 1981-91 (iv) 1911-21
(A) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)(B) (i), (iii), (ii), (iv)(C) (iv), (ii), (iii), (i)(D) (iii), (i), (iv), (ii) - 1 markArrange the four phases of India’s population growth in chronological order: (i) Period of steady population growth (ii) Growth rate high but slowing down gradually (iii) Stagnant or stationary phase (iv) Period of population explosion
(A) (iii), (i), (iv), (ii)(B) (i), (iii), (iv), (ii)(C) (iii), (iv), (i), (ii)(D) (ii), (iv), (i), (iii)
6 Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the Blanks
- 1 markAccording to the Standard Census Definition, a Main Worker is a person who works for at least ________ in a year.
(A) 100 days(B) 200 days(C) 365 days(D) 183 days (six months) - 1 markPopulation doubling time is calculated on the basis of ________.
(A) the current annual growth rate(B) the total population(C) the birth rate alone(D) the death rate alone
7 Odd One Out
Odd One Out
- 1 markWhich of the following states is NOT part of the low-growth (under 20 per cent per decade) group?
(A) Kerala(B) Karnataka(C) Punjab(D) Odisha
8 Passage-Based Questions
Passage-Based Questions
Passage
The people are very important component of a country. India is the second most populous country after China in the world with its total population of 1,210 million (2011). India’s population is larger than the total population of North America, South America and Australia put together. More often, it is argued that such a large population invariably puts pressure on its limited resources and is also responsible for many socio-economic problems in the country.
- 1 mark(Based on the passage) India is the second most populous country in the world, after which country?
(A) United States(B) China(C) Indonesia(D) Russia
9 True / False
True / False
- 1 markChoose the correct combination of statements:
(i) India’s first Census was conducted in 1872.
(ii) India’s first complete Census was conducted in 1881.
(iii) The Census in India is held every 5 years.
(A) Only (i) and (ii)(B) Only (ii) and (iii)(C) Only (i) and (iii)(D) All are correct
Answer Key and Explanations
Direct Questions
- (A) The chapter states that population data are collected through Census operation held every 10 years in the country.
- (C) The chapter states that Uttar Pradesh has the highest population, followed by Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal.
- (D) The density of population in India (2011) is 382 persons per sq km, up from 117 persons per sq km in 1951.
- (C) Density ranges up to 11,297 persons per sq km in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the highest figure the chapter gives.
- (D) The chapter states that the annual growth rate of India’s population is 1.64 per cent (2011).
- (B) The chapter states that the growth rate of population is still high, and it has been projected by the World Development Report that population of India will touch 1,350 million by 2025.
- (D) The share of adolescents, i.e. the 10-19 years age group, is about 20.9 per cent (2011), of which male adolescents are 52.7 per cent and female adolescents 47.3 per cent.
Assertion-Reason
- (A) Both are true, and R explains A: the chapter calls density a crude measure, because a better insight into the pressure of population on total cultivable land needs the physiological and agricultural densities.
- (C) Assertion A is true (68.8% rural against 31.16% urban, 2011). Reason R is false: the chapter says urban population, though low, is showing a much faster rate of growth over the decades, not a slower one.
Match the Following
- (C) Table 1.2 gives Austric 1.38%, Dravidian 20%, Sino-Tibetan 0.85% and Indo-European (Aryan) 73%.
- (A) Table 1.3 gives Hindus 79.8%, Muslims 14.2%, Christians 2.3% and Sikhs 1.7%.
- (B) Among the northern states, Bihar (1,102) is the densest, followed by West Bengal (1,029) and Uttar Pradesh (828); among the peninsular states, Kerala (859) is denser than Tamil Nadu (555).
Statement-Based Questions
- (B) Both correct: 68.8% rural against 31.16% urban, and the Union Territories have a smaller rural share except Dadra and Nagar Haveli (53.38%).
Arrange in the Correct Order
- (D) The first Census was conducted in 1872 (iv), the first complete Census in 1881 (ii), the density was 117 persons per sq km in 1951 (iii) and 382 persons per sq km in 2011 (i). So the order is (iv), (ii), (iii), (i).
- (B) Table 1.1 gives 24.80% for 1961-71, 23.85% for 1981-91, 21.54% for 1991-2001 and -0.31% for 1911-21, so the order is (i), (iii), (ii), (iv).
- (A) Phase I (1901-1921) was the stagnant or stationary phase (iii); Phase II (1921-1951) the period of steady population growth (i); Phase III (1951-1981) the period of population explosion (iv); and Phase IV (post-1981) the phase in which the growth rate, though high, has started slowing down gradually (ii).
Fill in the Blanks
- (D) A Main Worker is a person who works for at least 183 days (or six months) in a year.
- (A) Population doubling time is the time taken by any population to double itself at its current annual growth rate.
Odd One Out
- (C) The chapter’s low-growth group is Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry and Goa; Punjab belongs to the higher-growth belt (20-25 per cent).
Passage-Based Questions
- (B) The passage states that India is the second most populous country after China, with a total population of 1,210 million (2011).
True / False
- (A) (i) and (ii) are the chapter’s own facts. (iii) is incorrect: the Census is held every 10 years, not every 5 years.
More for this chapter