Topics
Controlling Air Pollution
- From Domestic Combustionc
- From Industries
- From Vehicles
- Traffic Management
- Economic Policy
Addressing Population
- The Link Between Growing Population and Environmental Degradation
- Theories of Population Growth
- Strategies for Controlling Growth of Population
- Poverty Alleviation Programmes and Their Target Sectors
Managing the Urban Environment
- Urbanisation in India
- Planning Environmental Improvement
- Rural Development to Counter Migration
- Development of Secondary Cities to Counter Migration
- Community Participation and Contribution of Private Enterprises
Managing Soil and Land
- Conserving Soil
- Land Reforms
- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
- Role of Women and Community in Conservation
- Combating Deforestation
- Managing Forest Grazing
- Alternatives to Timber
Food
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Problem of Global Food Security, Food Aid
Biodiversity
- Biodiversity at Risk Due to Human Actions
- Conserving Our Genetic Resource: In-situ and Ex-situ; Harvesting Wildlife
- Conservation Strategies at National and International Levels
Energy
- Fossil Fuels Used to Produce Electricity
- A Sustainable Energy Future
Waste
- Solid Wastes
- Where Does the Trash Go?
- Solid Wastes
Environment and Development
- Global Environmental Pollution
- Economic Development and Environmental Degradation.
- International Trade
- Multinational Corporations
Towards a Sustainable Future
- Global Interdependence – Economic and Environmental
- International Cooperation
- Concept of Sustainable Development
- Role of Non-governmental Organisations
- Technology that Sustains
- Malthusian Theory of Population Growth
- Malthusian Growth Concept
- Population Checks
- Table
- Theory of Demographic Transition
- The Three Stages
- Birth and Death Rate Trend in India (per 1000 people)
- Real-Life Application
- Key Point Summary
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11
Malthusian Theory of Population Growth
Thomas Robert Malthus proposed the Malthusian theory in 1798 in his essay “An Essay on the Principle of Population”.
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11
Malthusian Growth Concept
- Population Growth: Grows geometrically (e.g., 2, 4, 8, 16).
- Food Supply Growth: Grows arithmetically (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4).
- Imbalance: Population outpaces food supply, creating scarcity.
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11
Population Checks
- Preventive Checks: Actions to slow birth rate (late marriage, moral restraint).
- Positive Checks: Natural factors raise death rate (floods, famine, disease).
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11
Table
| Time Period | Population | Food Supply |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 4 | 16 | 4 |
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11
Theory of Demographic Transition
Given by A.J. Coale and E.M. Hoover in 1958, this theory explains how population patterns shift as a nation develops.
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11
The Three Stages
| Stage/Feature | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| First: Low Growth | High birth and high death rates, little overall population growth | India before 1921 |
| Second: High Growth | Death rate starts falling, birth rate remains high, population “explosion” | Developing India today |
| Third: Low/Stable | Both birth and death rates are low; population growth stabilises. | Developed countries |
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11
Birth and Death Rate Trend in India (per 1000 people)
| Year | Birth Rate | Death Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 49.2 | 42.6 |
| 1951 | 41.7 | 22.8 |
| 2011 | 20.97 | 7.48 |
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11
Real-Life Application
Imagine a town: Every year, twice as many people are born, but only one extra bag of rice is grown each year. Soon, there’s not enough rice for everyone.
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11
Key Point Summary
- If the population keeps growing faster than food resources, natural or social disasters (“positive checks”) kick in to restore balance.
- India is currently in Stage 2, with high population growth but falling birth and death rates.
Test Yourself
Related QuestionsVIEW ALL [1]
Find out Q3 from the given data.
(Use the population figures as numerical data)
| Year | Population (in Crores) |
| 1951 | 36.1 |
| 1961 | 43.9 |
| 1971 | 54.8 |
| 1981 | 68.3 |
| 1991 | 84.6 |
| 2001 | 102.7 |
| 2011 | 121.02 |
