The Dependency Ratio in India is declining because

The correct answer is C. The dependency ratio compares dependents, meaning people aged 0-14 and 60 and above, with the economically active 15-59 group, expressed per 100 people. The ratio falls when the 15-59 group grows relatively large compared with the dependent groups. This is the demographic dividend phase that India has been moving through, as fertility falls and the working-age share rises.

Why the others are wrong:

• A) A high 0-14 population adds to dependents, so it pushes the ratio up, not down.
• B) A high 60+ population also adds to dependents and raises the ratio.
• D) Combining both dependent groups increases the numerator, so it cannot explain a decline.

Core concept: age structure and demographic dividend. The window of opportunity closes as the population ages and the 60+ share grows, which is a Mains point on employment generation and old-age social security.

Trap: options A, B and D all name a large dependent group, and students assume the ratio must be rising. Check the direction. Anything that adds to the dependent groups pushes the ratio up, so only a relatively large 15-59 group can make it fall.