UPPSC 2023 Prelims GS Paper-I · Question 56 of 150

Correct — B, A-(3), B-(4), C-(1), D-(2). The Optimum Population Theory (A) was developed by the British economist Edwin Cannan — spelt 'Edwin Kennan' in List-II — item (3). The Demographic Transition Theory (C) is credited to Warren S. Thompson (1929), who described the shift from high birth/high death to low birth/low death rates — item (1). The Population-Food Supply Relationship (D) is the classic Malthusian thesis that population grows geometrically while food grows arithmetically — Malthus, item (2). By elimination the remaining pair is Social Mal-adjustment Theory (B) with Henry George (4), the anti-Malthusian who in 'Progress and Poverty' (1879) argued that poverty flows from social and institutional mal-adjustment (land monopoly) rather than from population outrunning food. Only option (b) sets all four correctly.

• (a)A-(1), B-(2), C-(3), D-(4) — Mis-assigns every pair: it gives the Optimum theory to Thompson, the food-supply theory to Malthus's slot wrongly, and the Demographic Transition to Edwin Cannan. Cannan is the optimum-population man and Thompson is the demographic-transition man, so this reversal fails.
• (c)A-(2), B-(3), C-(4), D-(1) — Pairs the Optimum theory with Malthus and the food-supply theory with Thompson — both wrong. Malthus is tied to the population–food-supply relationship, not the optimum theory.
• (d)A-(4), B-(3), C-(1), D-(2) — Gets C-(1) Thompson and D-(2) Malthus right but swaps the top two — it puts the Optimum theory under Henry George and the Social Mal-adjustment theory under Edwin Cannan. Cannan is the optimum-theory economist, so A and B are reversed.

Population theories in the UPPSC/UPSC syllabus cluster around a few named thinkers. Malthus (1798) held that population, unchecked, grows geometrically while food grows arithmetically, so misery and vice act as checks. Edwin Cannan advanced the Optimum Population Theory — the population size that yields maximum per-capita output for a given resource base. Warren Thompson framed the Demographic Transition Theory, the three/four-stage move from high to low birth and death rates as an economy develops. Henry George, in 'Progress and Poverty', rejected Malthus and blamed poverty on social/institutional mal-adjustment rather than sheer numbers.

Match-list questions are cracked by anchoring the certainties and letting the rest fall out. Two pairings are near-automatic for a prepared aspirant: Malthus = population-food supply, and Thompson = demographic transition. Fixing those two immediately kills options (a) and (c). The only remaining contest is whether 'Optimum' goes to Cannan or 'Social Mal-adjustment' goes to Cannan; since Cannan is universally the optimum-theory name, A-(3) settles it and option (b) survives.

• Optimum Population Theory — Edwin Cannan (also associated with Carr-Saunders and Robbins); the 'ideal' population maximising per-capita output.
• Demographic Transition Theory — Warren S. Thompson (1929), later elaborated by Frank Notestein.
• Population–Food Supply relationship — T. R. Malthus: population grows geometrically, food arithmetically.
• Henry George ('Progress and Poverty', 1879) was anti-Malthusian, attributing poverty to social/institutional mal-adjustment (land monopoly) rather than over-population.

• Confusing Thompson (demographic transition) with Malthus (food-supply) — the two most-swapped names.
• Assuming 'Optimum' belongs to Malthus; it is Edwin Cannan's theory.
• Reading 'Edwin Kennan' as a different economist — it is the British economist Edwin Cannan.

UPPSC/UPSC repeatedly test population theories as name-to-theory match-lists; memorise the one-line signature of each thinker (Malthus = geometric growth, Cannan = optimum, Thompson = transition).

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The theory that there is an ideal population size which maximises per-capita output for a given resource base is the:

  • (a)Malthusian theory
  • (b)Optimum population theory
  • (c)Demographic transition theory
  • (d)Theory of demographic dividend

  Answer(b) Optimum population theory — propounded by Edwin Cannan.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  According to the Malthusian theory of population, population and food supply respectively grow in which manner?

  • (a)Arithmetically and geometrically
  • (b)Geometrically and arithmetically
  • (c)Both geometrically
  • (d)Both arithmetically

  Answer(b) Geometrically and arithmetically — population outpaces food, inviting checks.