The correct option is
1 only
Explanation
The Demographic Transition Theory describes the transition of a society from high birth and high death rates to low birth and low death rates as it progresses from an agrarian and rural society to an urban and industrial one. This transition typically occurs in three or more stages, influencing the net population growth.
Statement-wise Analysis:
- Statement 1 is Correct. According to the standard Demographic Transition Model, in the Second Stage, fertility (birth rate) remains high at the beginning. However, as the stage progresses, fertility begins to decline gradually. This stage marks the shift where social factors maintaining high fertility start to weaken, though they lag behind the decline in mortality.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect. The defining characteristic of the Second Stage is a significant decline in the mortality rate, not an increase. This reduction is driven by improvements in medical facilities, sanitation, and food security, often associated with the early phases of urbanization and development.
- Statement 3 is Incorrect. Due to the widening gap between the high birth rate and the rapidly declining death rate, the net addition to the population is very high during this stage. This phase is often referred to as the period of "population explosion," rather than having negligible growth. Negligible growth is characteristic of Stage I (high birth and death rates) or the final stage (low birth and death rates).
Key Takeaway:
The Second Stage of Demographic Transition is characterized by a population explosion caused by a sharp drop in mortality rates while fertility rates remain relatively high initially before starting to decline.