Census 2011- Importance, Methodology, Census of India PDF
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 14th, 2023
The Census 2011 is the 15th, and it was conducted nationally. Indian census is the biggest statistical census exercise done in the world. India conducts the census of its citizens once every 10 years. The British started conducting a census in 1872, and India continued the practice. The census 2011 provided essential details such as the demography, economic activity, literacy, urbanization, language, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, mortality, etc. According to Census 2011 data, the population growth surged to 17.7%.
The Indian constitution, in the form of Article 246 and the Census Act of 1948, makes it legal to conduct a census in India. State and Central governments work together to collect the data for the census. The Census 2011 was conducted through the Canvasser method. This is an essential topic for the IAS exam, the candidates must be well-versed in complete details of the topic to prepare comprehensively for the UPSC exam. The article furnishes complete details of the Census 2011, its importance, data, the sex ratio in India 2011 etc.
Table of content
Importance of Census 2011 Data
Census 2011 data provided valuable information for policymaking and budget allocations for various programs run by the government. The census information is the only source of truth for data on villages and wards.
The importance of census 2011 data lies in providing accurate and authentic information about various factors. The numerous factors are demography, language, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, fertility, mortality, housing and household amenities, literacy, education etc.
2011 Census of India- Methodology
The Indian census followed the canvasser method, where the data collectors visit every home and filled out a questionnaire. This exercise took three weeks. It was followed by a revisional round where errors in the data were corrected.
According to the 15th census of India, the Indian population in the 2011 census stood at 1.21 billion or 121 crores. The population growth has been 17.7% decade over decade, slightly less from 2001 to 2011, according to the 2011 census of India. This was the first time the population growth had reduced from a decade before.
Data Collected for Census 2011
Census 2011 data was one of the most important statistics that the government collected. This data was used to fund programs for the progress of the country. Indian census collects extensive data during its listing operations and analysis and aggregates numbers.
Some main data groups collected during the 2011 census of India were demographic data, economic and financial situation data, literacy information, and data on religion. Census 2011 shows that the population density in India had grown from 325 people per square kilometer to 382 people per square kilometer. With these numbers, India was only second to Bangladesh in population density.
Sex Ratio of Census 2011
Of the Indian population in the census 2011 count, the female population was growing faster than the males. The sex ratio, which measures the number of women per thousand men, was on par with the developed countries. Data from the 2011 census of India showed 940 females to 1,000 males.
- This was an important number as India had consistently decreased the female population. For the last two decades, this number has improved, showing that the measures for eliminating female infanticide have been working.
- The literacy rate is another important data that the census collects. Anyone who can read and write and is over seven years old is called literate. According to the census 2011 data, India’s literacy rate is 74.04%. Kerala continued to be the state with the highest literacy at 93.91%, and Bihar continued to be the state with the lowest literacy at 63.82%.
While the female literacy rate improved over a decade, it still stood lower than the male literacy rate in 2011. According to the census 2011, and the sex ratio in India’s female literacy rate is 65.46%, and male literacy is 82.14%.
Census 2011 UPSC
India has over 400 million workers, according to the 15th census of India. This accounts for about 39.1% of the total population of the country. Over 312 million out of the 400 million are main workers, and the rest are marginal workers. The aspirants preparing for the UPSC exam must prepare comprehensively and effectively.
Census 2011 UPSC PDF
The aspirants can get elaborate and elucidated knowledge of the pattern of the questions by solving the previous year question papers. An in-depth cognizance of all the pertinent topics will enable the candidates to gain insights into the exam.
