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

Pregnancy wastage refers to all pregnancies that do not result in a live birth. It includes both spontaneous and induced terminations as well as fetal deaths occurring before or during delivery.
A. Miscarriage: A spontaneous abortion occurring naturally before 20-28 weeks of gestation.
B. Abortion: An induced termination of pregnancy before the fetus reaches viability, whether for medical or personal reasons.
C. Stillbirth: Fetal death occurring after 28 weeks of gestation or during childbirth, where the baby shows no signs of life.
Live birth (D) is not included since it represents a successful pregnancy outcome.
Hence, pregnancy wastage includes A, B, and C only.

The frequency of diseases in a population is measured using two fundamental epidemiological indicators:
A. Incidence: Measures the number of new cases of a disease occurring in a defined population over a specific period. It reflects the risk of developing the disease.
B. Prevalence: Measures the total number of existing cases (both new and old) in a population at a given time. It reflects the burden of disease.
Duration (C) and severity (D) describe the disease characteristics but not its frequency.
Therefore, the correct measures are incidence and prevalence (A and B only).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) framework on Healthy Ageing (2015), the Healthy Ageing Index integrates components that capture physical, functional, and environmental determinants of ageing. The main components ARE:
A. Functional health: The ability of older individuals to maintain physical and cognitive functioning necessary for independence.
B. Intrinsic capacity: A person's composite of all physical and mental capacities - mobility, cognition, psychological health, vitality, and sensory function.
D. Environments: The external conditions, such as social, physical, and policy environments, that interact with individual capacity to determine well-being.
Economic condition (C) is an influencing factor but not a core component of the WHO's Healthy Ageing framework.
Hence, the correct components are A, B, and D only.

The Analytical Framework for Child Survival, developed by Mosley and Chen (1984), identifies the key proximate determinants influencing child mortality, grouped under biological and environmental factors:
A. Maternal factors: Include maternal age, parity, and birth interval, which affect child survival chances.
C. Environmental contamination: Covers exposure to pathogens through air, water, and food, influencing infectious diseases.
D. Personal illness control: Involves preventive and curative healthcare behaviors like immunization, hygiene, and treatmentseeking.
Socio-economic conditions (B) act as background variables influencing these proximate factors indirectly, not directly determining mortality in the framework.
Thus, the main components are A, C, and D only.

Several sociological and economic theories explain fertility behavior:
A. Social Capillarity Theory (Dumont): Suggests fertility declines as individuals aspire for higher social mobility - smaller families allow better economic advancement.
C. Wealth Flow Theory (Caldwell): Proposes that fertility depends on the direction of wealth flow - when wealth flows from parents to children (modern societies), fertility declines; when it flows from children to parents (traditional societies), fertility remains high.
D. Change and Response Theory (Davis): Explains fertility transition as a population's response to social and economic changes through various adaptive mechanisms.
Social Network Theory (B) primarily explains information diffusion and social relations, not fertility behavior directly.
Therefore, fertility-related theories include А, C, and D only.

This question connects key demographic tools and the scholars who developed or refined them:
A. Dual system of sample registration→ (IV) Chandrasekhar and Deming: They developed the dual record system for checking accuracy in registration through independent enumeration and matching, forming the basis of India's Sample Registration System (SRS).
B. Digit preference → (II) Whipple: Whipple's Index quantifies preference for ages ending in digits 0 and 5, identifying heaping or rounding in age data.
C. Digit dislike index → (I) Myers: Myer's Blended Index measures preference or avoidance for all terminal digits (0-9), hence applicable to both digit preference and digit dislike.
D. Non-response correction → (III) El Badry: Developed statistical methods to adjust for non-response and omission errors in demographic data.
Thus, the correct matches are: A-IV, B-II, C-I, D-III.

Whipple's Index measures age accuracy based on preference for ages ending in 0 and 5. The quality classification and range are:
Therefore, A-IV (Highly accurate - Under 105)
B-II (Fairly accurate - 105-110)
C-III (Approximate - 110-125)
D-I (Rough - 125-175)
Hence, the correct sequence is A-IV, B-II, С-III,D-I.

Each index measures the inhibiting effect of a specific proximate determinant on fertility:
A. Cm→ Index of marriage: Measures reduction in fertility due to the proportion of women married or in union.
В. Сc Index of non-contraception: Reflects the fertility reduction due to contraceptive use.
C. Сa Index of induced abortion: Quantifies the impact of abortion on fertility reduction.
D. Ci → Index of lactational infecundability: Captures fertility reduction due to prolonged breastfeeding and postpartum amenorrhea.
Correct matching: A-III, B-IV, C-II, D-I.

Demographic indicators are classified by their mathematical form:
A. Ratio → (III) Sex Ratio: Ratio of females to males × 1000.
B. Rate→ (I) Death Rate: Expresses occurrence of an event per population in a given time (per 1,000 population per year).
C. Percentage → (IV) Literacy Rate: Expresses the proportion of literate persons per 100 population aged 7 and above.
D. Probabilities → (II) Maternal Mortality Rate (actually a probability measure): Represents the likelihood of a maternal death per 100,000 live births. Hence, A-III, B-I, C-IV, D-II.

These national programmes and policies are linked to specific public health or social objectives:
A. PCPNDT (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994) → (II) Sex-selective abortion: Legislation preventing misuse of prenatal diagnostic techniques for sex determination and female feticide.
B. NPSC (National Policy for Senior Citizens) → (I) Age-friendly city: Aims at creating inclusive, age-friendly environments for the elderly.
C. RNTCP (Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme) → (IV) To eliminate tuberculosis: Focuses on TB control and elimination through DOTS and preventive strategies.
D. ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) → (III) Nutritional supplements to preschool children: Provides supplementary nutrition, health checkups, and preschool education to children under six years. Correct pairing: A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III.