Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Neither 1 nor 2 is true
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question is framed in the typical assertion type format often used in competitive exams to test analytical reasoning as well as basic knowledge of policy and global experience. It focuses on population control policy and asks whether a strict one child law should be imposed on parents in India. The two statements provide reasons for and against such a policy, and you must judge their correctness, not simply agree or disagree personally. The task is to evaluate the truth of each statement based on factual and logical grounds.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
When assessing such statements, it is important to separate extreme claims from more balanced ones. The phrase only way in Statement 1 is very strong and implies that other measures like education, voluntary family planning, incentives, and improved health services cannot control population, which is not correct. Statement 2 is also factually incorrect because at least one major country, China, famously adopted a one child policy for many years, which is widely documented. Therefore, both statements are flawed, and the correct response is that neither 1 nor 2 is true.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Evaluate Statement 1. Many countries have significantly reduced fertility rates through voluntary methods, education, women empowerment, and access to contraception without using a compulsory one child law.Step 2: This shows that a strict one child policy is not the only way to control population growth; it is one extreme option among many, and its necessity is not established.Step 3: Therefore, Statement 1 is not correct because of its exclusive and absolute claim.Step 4: Evaluate Statement 2. The statement says that such a pressure tactic is not adopted by any other country in the world.Step 5: In reality, China implemented a one child policy for several decades, a clear counterexample to this claim.Step 6: Since at least one country has used such a policy, Statement 2 is also factually incorrect.Step 7: As both statements are incorrect, the appropriate option is that neither 1 nor 2 is true.
Verification / Alternative check:
Looking at global demographic experiences, several countries, including India itself, have achieved substantial declines in fertility through non coercive approaches such as voluntary family planning, improved health care, and higher female literacy. These examples contradict the idea that compulsion is the only effective tool. At the same time, the widely discussed case of China one child policy directly contradicts the claim that no other country has adopted such tactics. When both statements conflict with real world evidence, it becomes clear that neither should be regarded as true.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Only 1 is true: This would require accepting the extreme claim that no other policy mix can control population growth, which is contradicted by many international experiences.
Only 2 is true: This would require ignoring the well known example of a country that did implement a one child policy, which makes the statement factually wrong.
Either 1 or 2 is true: This suggests that at least one statement must be correct, but in this case both are demonstrably false, so this option cannot be chosen.
Common Pitfalls:
Some test takers may agree emotionally with one of the statements and mark it as true without carefully examining the absolute terms like only way and any other country. Others may not recall specific international examples and assume that no nation has tried such policies. To answer assertion questions correctly, it is vital to focus on logical precision and factual knowledge rather than personal opinion or partial information.
Final Answer:
Neither Statement 1 nor Statement 2 is true, so the correct option is that neither 1 nor 2 is true.
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