UGC-NET (NTA) POPULATION STUDIES, JUNE-2025

Total Questions: 100

1. The estimated whipple's index value 120 indicates that age data is:

Correct Answer: 2. Moderate
Solution:

Hence, a Whipple's Index of 120 falls under the
range of 110-124.9, signifying moderate accuracy
of age data - i.e, there is a noticeable but not
extreme preference for terminal digits 0 and 5
in the age reporting.

2. Which one of the following index is used to measure the extent of preference for age of all terminal digits?

Correct Answer: 2. Myer's Index
Solution:

Myer's Blended Index measures the extent of preference for all terminal digits (0-9) in reported ages. It evaluates how much the age data deviates from the ideal uniform distribution where each terminal digit should occur 10% of the time. Steps involved:
1. The age distribution is adjusted (or "blended") to remove population size bias.
2. The proportion of each terminal digit (0-9) is calculated.
3. Deviations from the expected 10% are added in absolute terms and divided by 2 to get the index value.
Interpretation:
• 0 → Perfect accuracy (no digit bias)
• 0-5→ Highly accurate
• 5-10 → Moderate preference
• >10 → Strong preference or inaccurate data Thus, Myer's Index is specifically used to assess the degree of rounding or preference for any termınal digit, unlike Whipple's Index, which looks only at digits 0 and 5.

3. Which one of the following is the assumption of ratio method of population projection?

Correct Answer: 2. Share of units remain same
Solution:

The Ratio Method of Population Projection assumes that the share of a smaller unit (e.g., a district or city) in the total population of a larger unit (e.g., state or country) remains constant over time.
The future population of the smaller area is estimated as:
Where:
P₀ = base-year population of smaller area
P₀ = base-year population of larger area
P'ₜ = projected population of larger area at future time t
This means that population growth in the smaller area will follow the same proportion as in the larger area. It is most suitable when there are no major economic, social, or administrative changes affecting migration or growth patterns. Therefore, the core assumption of this method is that the share of units remains the same over time.

4. Which one of the following is the major producer of population projection?

Correct Answer: 3. The United Nations
Solution:

The United Nations (UN), particularly through its Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), is the major global producer of population projections. These projections, such as those in the World Population Prospects series, are prepared for every country and region, updated approximately every two years. The UN projections are widely used as international standards because they use consistent methodologies based on fertility, mortality, and migration trends.
Other agencies also produce projections-like the World Bank (for development indicators), the U.S. Census Bureau (mainly for U.S. and global estimates), and IIASA (for alternative scenario projections)-but the UN projections remain the primary and most authoritative source globally used for academic, planning, and policy purposes.

5. Which among the following basic equation expresses the change in population overtime in a simple form?

Correct Answer: 2. Balancing equation
Solution:

6. Which of the following is not a measure to study the age structure of the population?

Correct Answer: 4. Age specific sex ratio
Solution:

The age structure of a population refers to the distribution of individuals across various age groups. The main measures used to study it include:
• Age Pyramid (Population Pyramid): A graphical representation showing the percentage or number of people in different age groups and sex categories.
• Median Age: The age that divides the population into two equal halves - one half younger, the other older.
• Dependency Ratio: Indicates the proportion of dependents (aged under 15 and above 64) to the working-age population (15-64 years).
However, the Age Specific Sex Ratio shows the number of males per 100 females in a specific age group, which measures gender composition, not age structure itself. Therefore, Age Specific Sex Ratio is not a measure of age structure, though it is related to demographic analysis.

7. A growing number of countries are experiencing a decrease in population size. This is due to:

Correct Answer: 4. sustained low levels of fertility and, in some places, high rates of emigration
Solution:

In recent decades, many countries-especially in Europe (e.g., Italy, Germany), East Asia (e.g., Japan, South Korea), and Eastern Europe (e.g., Bulgaria, Latvia)-have begun to experience population decline. The primary cause is sustained low fertility rates, typically below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman, which is needed to maintain population stability over generations.
While low mortality leads to population ageing, it does not reduce total population size; rather, it increases the share of elderly people. On the other hand, high or sustained emigration-as seen in several Eastern European and some Asian nations-accelerates the population decrease because more people leave than are born. Therefore, the decline in population size in many countries is due to persistent low fertility combined with emigration, making option 4 the most accurate explanation.

8. The Net Reproduction Rate (NRR) = 1 implies exact replacement, then what NRR <1 implies?

Correct Answer: 4. Not replacing itself and a negative growth in long run
Solution:

The Net Reproduction Rate (NRR) measures the average number of daughters that a newborn girl will bear during her lifetime, assuming current fertility and mortality rates remain constant.
• NRR = 1: Each generation of women is exactly replacing itself - population stability.
• NRR > 1: The population is growing because each generation produces more daughters than needed for replacement.
• NRR < 1: Each generation is producing fewer daughters than required for replacement.
In this case, the population is not replacing itself and will eventually decline in the long run once the current age structure ages out. However, due to momentum (young population base), the short-term growth rate may remain positive for a while. Hence, NRR < 1 indicates long-term population decline or negative growth in the long run.

9. How is marriage squeeze defined?

Correct Answer: 4. When there are either more marriage age males or females in a geographic region or among a people
Solution:

Marriage squeeze refers to a demographic imbalance between the number of eligible males and females within the marriageable age group of a population.
This imbalance can occur due to:
• Past fluctuations in birth rates (baby booms or busts),
• Sex-selective practices or migration affecting gender ratios, or
• Differences in cultural norms such as age at marriage or polygamy.
For instance, if there are more marriageable males than females, it creates a male marriage squeeze (some men unable to find partners). Conversely, an excess of females creates a female marriage squeeze. Thus, marriage squeeze is a demographic condition where the number of potential grooms and brides is unequal in a given population or region.

10. The interval between survey point and last birth is called:

Correct Answer: 3. Open birth interval
Solution:

The open birth interval refers to the time elapsed between a woman's last birth and the date of a survey or observation. It is called "open" because the woman may still have future births - the interval is not yet closed. This measure helps in estimating fertility trends and reproductive behavior, especially in surveys where data on completed fertility are unavailable. A shorter open interval suggests high recent fertility, whereas a longer interval indicates declining fertility or increased use of contraception.