With reference to 'birth rate' which of the following statement(s) is/are correct? 1). Urbanization helps in reducing the birth rate. 2). High literacy rate is directly related to low birth rate. Select the correct answer using the codes given below. Codes:

Both statements are correct, so the answer is C. Birth rate is the number of live births per 1,000 population in a year, and it falls as societies modernise.

Statement 1 is correct. Urban areas show lower birth rates than rural areas. Higher cost of living, smaller households, easier access to contraception and health services, and more women in paid work all push fertility down. Census and SRS data consistently show this urban-rural gap.

Statement 2 is correct. Female literacy has one of the strongest links with fertility. Educated women tend to marry later, have a greater say in household decisions, and are more aware of family planning. That is why states like Kerala have much lower birth rates than Bihar or Uttar Pradesh, despite differences in income.

• Options A and B fail because each rejects a statement that is in fact correct.
• Option D fails for the same reason, since neither statement is wrong.

Core concept: the demographic transition. Fertility declines with urbanisation, literacy and female empowerment, which is why the National Population Policy 2000 and the focus on girl education matter for population and gender questions in Mains.

Trap: aspirants sometimes mark statement 2 as wrong, thinking the link is only indirect or applies only to male literacy. The question is about the general correlation, which is direct and well established.