UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Replacement level fertility is the level of childbearing at which each generation of women is producing enough daughters to replace themselves. In human populations it is slightly above two children per woman in many contexts because some children die before reaching reproductive age. The stem clearly refers to fertility that allows a population to replace itself over time. Hence replacement level fertility is the correct term.

Option A:
High fertility simply indicates that women are having many children,typically well above the replacement level. Such fertility usually leads to rapid population growth rather than stability,so it does not fit the description in the question.

Option B:
Replacement level fertility is central to discussions of population stabilisation and long term demographic planning. When sustained over time and combined with balanced migration,it leads to a roughly stable population size. This makes it the most appropriate option for the stem.

Option C:
Total fertility normally refers to the total fertility rate,which is a measure of average births per woman but can be higher or lower than replacement level. It is a related statistic but not specifically the level at which replacement occurs.

Option D:
Optimum fertility is not a standard demographic measure and could be interpreted in various normative ways. It does not have the precise meaning described in the question stem,so it is not the best answer.