With reference to the 'Uttar Pradesh Population Control, Stabilisation and Welfare' Bill, 2021 which of the following(s) is/are correct ? 1). This Bill aims to bring the birth rate down to 2.1 per thousands population by 2026 2). At present, the fertility rate in the State is 2.7 per thousand. Select the correct answer using the codes given below. Codes :

The answer is C, but only if both statements are read as the Bill meant them. Both are worded with the wrong unit. Fertility is measured as Total Fertility Rate (children per woman), not per thousand population.

The draft Bill, released by the UP Law Commission in July 2021, set a target of bringing the TFR down to 2.1 by 2026 and to 1.9 by 2030, so statement 1 reflects its aim. Statement 2 is correct on the figure: NFHS-4 (2015-16) put UP's TFR at about 2.7, which the draft used as its baseline. NFHS-5 (2019-21) has since shown about 2.4, so the 2.7 figure is now outdated.

This ties to the Mains theme of population policy, its link to the demographic dividend, and the debate over coercive versus incentive-based approaches. Note that the Bill was a draft and was not enacted in this form.

Trap: Candidates who spot the "per thousand" unit error and mark D lose the point the examiner intended, which is the TFR target and baseline. Read the statement for its intended meaning, then check the unit.