The population growth rate in Kerala is the lowest among major Indian states. Which one of the following is the most widely accepted reason for this?

Answer: (c) Kerala has invested heavily in promoting literacy and public health and placed high priority on social policies

Heavy investment in literacy (especially women’s), public health and social policy lowered fertility.

The idea

Lower fertility often follows better health, education and greater choice for women. When more children survive and schooling improves, families may choose fewer births. This can lower population growth, although migration and the existing age structure also affect the final rate.

Public health improves → Child survival rises → Girls stay longer in education → Marriage and childbearing may occur later → Access to reproductive health expands → Desired family size and fertility can fall

Why the others are wrong

(a) Family planning spending alone is not the accepted reason.

(b) Literacy is part of it, but the broader social policy explains it.

(d) Kerala has more women, not fewer.

The trap

(b) is a part of (c) — pick the fuller answer.

Also know

The total fertility rate estimates births per woman under current age-specific fertility rates. Replacement fertility is roughly 2.1 in a low-mortality setting. Population can keep growing after that level is reached because large young cohorts enter childbearing ages; this is population momentum.