Q.Causes of high birth rate in India.

India's high birth rate is the result of social, economic and cultural factors — early and universal marriage, son preference and religious beliefs, the joint family system, poverty and illiteracy, high infant mortality, limited family planning, the value of children as labour in farming, and a warm climate.

The birth rate is the number of live births per thousand of population in a year. Although it has declined over the decades, India's birth rate stayed high for a long time, contributing to rapid population growth. The AP Intermediate 2nd-year Economics course (aligned with the NCERT/CBSE commerce curriculum) explains this through the following causes.

Causes of high birth rate in India:

1. Universal and early marriage. Marriage is almost universal and often takes place at a young age, which lengthens the child-bearing period.

2. Religious and social beliefs. Some beliefs favour large families, and the strong preference for a male child makes couples continue having children.

3. Joint family system. In a joint family the cost of raising children is shared, so couples feel less burden in having more children.

4. Illiteracy. Lack of education keeps people unaware of the benefits of a small family and of family-planning methods.

5. Poverty. Poor families often have more children in the hope that they will add to family income.

6. High infant mortality. When many infants die, parents tend to have more children to ensure that some survive.

7. Lack of family planning. Limited awareness and use of contraception keep the birth rate high.

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