UPSC Prelims 1997 · General Studies
Question 21: Economy and Social Development
According to the latest census figures sex ratio in India is
AnswerThe answer is (a).
In the 1991 Census India's sex ratio was 927 females per 1,000 males, down from 934 in 1981 and from 972 in 1901. That was the latest census when the question was set, and the long-run trend to that point was a fall. Remember that the trend turned later: the ratio rose to 933 in 2001 and 943 in 2011.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Right: 927 in 1991 was lower than before, continuing the long decline from 972 in 1901.
- (b) The ratio kept moving down over the decades, so it was not stable.
- (c) A rise came only from 2001 onwards, not at the 1991 census.
- (d) There were small upturns, as in 1981, but the long-run trend up to 1991 was a fall.
Worth knowing: The sex ratio has risen at the last two censuses (933 in 2001, 943 in 2011), so the answer holds only for the 1991 census.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1997, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.