Indian Society, Population and Social Issues MCQs for UPSC Prelims

This Indian Society, Population and Social Issues MCQ practice paper for UPSC Prelims has 15 carefully selected questions on the Census, demographic indicators, urbanisation, education, health, gender and the major social welfare laws and schemes. Each answer comes with a simple explanation, so you can strengthen your concepts while you practise.

Why Population and Social Issues Matters

Population and social issues connect statistics with policy, and they appear in the Prelims as factual and conceptual questions, and in the Mains as GS I and GS II questions on society, gender, education and health. A student who knows the key indicators and the main laws can understand the news on welfare schemes and survey reports with ease.

Instructions

• Total questions: 15. Suggested time: 15 minutes.
• Each correct answer gives 2 marks and each wrong answer deducts 0.66 marks, as in the real Prelims.
• Attempt the questions first and check the answer key only after you finish.

Practice Questions

Q1. As per the Census 2011, the total population of India was about:
(a) 102 crore
(b) 121 crore
(c) 135 crore
(d) 142 crore

Q2. Which state had the highest sex ratio as per Census 2011?
(a) Kerala
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Haryana
(d) Punjab

Q3. Which state had the highest literacy rate as per Census 2011?
(a) Goa
(b) Kerala
(c) Mizoram
(d) Tripura

Q4. Sex ratio in India is defined as:
(a) Number of males per 1,000 females
(b) Number of females per 1,000 males
(c) Number of births per 1,000 population
(d) Number of children per 1,000 women

Q5. The replacement-level Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is:
(a) 1.5
(b) 2.1
(c) 2.5
(d) 3.0

Q6. The 'demographic dividend' refers to:
(a) A rise in the old population
(b) The growth benefit from a large working-age population
(c) A fall in the population
(d) A tax on the population

Q7. The Right to Education Act, 2009 provides free and compulsory education to children in the age group of:
(a) 3 to 14 years
(b) 6 to 14 years
(c) 6 to 18 years
(d) 5 to 16 years

Q8. The 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' scheme was launched in:
(a) 2005
(b) 2010
(c) 2015
(d) 2019

Q9. Which survey provides the data on fertility, mortality and health indicators at the national and state level in India?
(a) NSSO Employment Survey
(b) National Family Health Survey (NFHS)
(c) Economic Survey
(d) Periodic Labour Force Survey

Q10. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 are:
(a) 8 in number
(b) 12 in number
(c) 17 in number
(d) 20 in number

Q11. The Multidimensional Poverty Index in India is released by:
(a) RBI
(b) NITI Aayog
(c) Finance Commission
(d) Planning Commission

Q12. The Human Development Index (HDI) is published by:
(a) World Bank
(b) UNDP
(c) IMF
(d) WHO

Q13. The 'Pradhan Mantri Poshan' scheme (earlier the Mid-Day Meal) is aimed at:
(a) Giving scholarships
(b) Improving the nutrition of school children
(c) Providing houses
(d) Providing loans

Q14. Which Constitution Amendment provides reservation of one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies (the Women's Reservation Act, 2023)?
(a) 73rd Amendment
(b) 74th Amendment
(c) 106th Amendment
(d) 101st Amendment

Q15. Urbanisation is a process in which:
(a) The rural population increases
(b) The proportion of the population living in urban areas increases
(c) People move to villages
(d) Forests grow

Answer Key with Explanations

1. Q1: (b) The Census of 2011 recorded a population of about 121 crore (1.21 billion), with a decadal growth of 17.7 per cent.
2. Q2: (a) Kerala had the highest sex ratio (1,084 females per 1,000 males), and Haryana was among the lowest.
3. Q3: (b) Kerala had the highest literacy rate at about 94 per cent, and Bihar the lowest among the states.
4. Q4: (b) The sex ratio in India is the number of females per 1,000 males.
5. Q5: (b) The replacement-level fertility is about 2.1 children per woman, at which a population exactly replaces itself.
6. Q6: (b) It is the economic gain that comes when the share of the working-age population is higher than the dependent population.
7. Q7: (b) The RTE Act 2009 gives effect to Article 21A, which provides the right to free and compulsory education for the children from 6 to 14 years.
8. Q8: (c) The scheme was launched in 2015 from Panipat, Haryana, to improve the child sex ratio and the education of the girl child.
9. Q9: (b) The NFHS is conducted under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the help of the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai.
10. Q10: (c) The UN adopted 17 SDGs in 2015 as a part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
11. Q11: (b) NITI Aayog releases the national MPI, which measures the poverty in health, education and the standard of living.
12. Q12: (b) The UNDP publishes the Human Development Report with the HDI, which is based on health, education and income.
13. Q13: (b) The scheme provides a hot cooked meal to children in schools, to improve nutrition and the attendance.
14. Q14: (c) The 106th Constitution Amendment (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023) provides 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, which will come into effect after the delimitation.
15. Q15: (b) Urbanisation is the increase in the share of the population living in towns and cities, and India's share was about 31 per cent in 2011.

Key Concepts to Revise After This Test

Quick Fact Sheet

• The Census is conducted every ten years by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The density of population in 2011 was 382 persons per square km.
• Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state, and Sikkim the least populous state.
• The National Education Policy 2020 proposed a 5+3+3+4 structure of school education.
• The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act was passed in 2005.
• The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognises 21 types of disabilities.
• India's population is the largest in the world, according to the UN estimates of 2023.

How to Prepare Population and Social Issues for the Prelims

For social issues, prepare a data sheet with the major indicators and the source of each, and revise it once a week. Add the new reports such as the NFHS, the MPI and the HDI as they come. Learn the main laws and the schemes with their year, the ministry and the purpose. Link the topics to the news and to GS I and GS II answers. You can also read our free Social Justice and Social Issues notes for simple revision, and use our other practice papers on the site for mixed practice.

Tricks for Solving Population and Social Issues Questions

• Remember the "leaders and laggards". Kerala for literacy and sex ratio, Bihar for low literacy, Haryana for a low sex ratio.
• Know the agency. HDI by UNDP, MPI by NITI Aayog, NFHS by the Health Ministry and the IIPS.
• Link the scheme to the issue. Beti Bachao with sex ratio, Poshan with nutrition and RTE with education.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing up the sex ratio and the child sex ratio.
• Confusing the agencies that publish the indices.
• Not learning the new laws and the amendments.
• Using old data without checking the latest report.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many questions come from Society and Social Issues in the Prelims?

They come as part of polity, economy and current affairs, and are usually 3 to 6 questions.

What is the sex ratio in India?

It is the number of females per 1,000 males in the population.

What is the Total Fertility Rate?

It is the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime.

What is demographic dividend?

It is the benefit that comes from a large share of working-age people in the population.

Which agency releases the NFHS?

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the IIPS, Mumbai conducts the NFHS.

How should I prepare social issues?

Keep a data sheet of the main indicators, learn the laws and schemes, and read the news every day.

Is it useful for the Mains?

Yes. It is a part of GS I and GS II, and gives content for the Essay and Ethics.