Correct Option (c):
The Demographic Transition Model (DTM) describes the sequence of population changes associated with economic development, typically progressing through distinct stages:
- Stage 1 (Statement 2): This initial stage is characterized by a high birth rate and a high death rate. Both rates are high due to factors such as limited access to healthcare, poor sanitation, and unreliable food supply, resulting in slow or negligible population growth. This stage is typical of pre-industrial societies.
- Stage 2 (Statement 3): In this stage, the death rate begins to decline significantly due to improvements in public health, sanitation, nutrition, and medical advancements. However, the birth rate remains high, leading to a rapid increase in population.
- Stage 3 (Statement 1): This stage is marked by a decline in the birth rate, eventually reaching a low level, while the death rate remains low. Factors contributing to falling birth rates include increased education, urbanization, access to contraception, changing social values, and women's empowerment. This leads to a stabilization of population growth or very slow growth.
Therefore, the correct chronological order of these demographic transition stages is 2, 3, 1.
Incorrect Options:
Options (a), (b), and (d) present sequences that do not align with the established progression of the Demographic Transition Model. The DTM outlines a specific, sequential shift in birth and death rates as societies undergo economic development, starting from high rates for both, then a decline in death rates, followed by a decline in birth rates.