2011 Census of India: Difference between revisions

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| image =The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, Dr. C. Chandramouli and Additional Registrar General, India, Shri RC Sethi presenting the Report of Census-2011 to the President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil.jpg

| image_caption =President of India [[Pratibha Patil]] receiving the 2011 Census report from the Census Commissioner C. Chandramouli

| percent_change = {{increase}} 17.70%<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A-2_Data_Tables/00%20A%202-India.pdf|title=Decadal Growth :www.censusindia.gov.in}}</ref>

| next_year = 2021

Spread across 29 [[States of India|states]]{{efn|name=preTG|Prior to the creation of Telangana.}} and 7 [[union territories]], the census covered 640 districts, 5,924 sub-districts, 7,935 towns and more than 600,000 villages. A total of 2.7 million officials visited households in 7,935 towns and 600,000 villages, classifying the population according to gender, religion, education and occupation.<ref name="pr_census_2011">{{cite web | url = http://pib.nic.in/newsite/efeatures.aspx?relid=74556 | title = Census of India 2011 – A Story of Innovations | author = C Chandramouli | publisher = Press Information Bureau, Government of India | date = 23 August 2011 }}</ref> The cost of the exercise was approximately {{INR convert|2200|c}}<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-commentary/do-we-really-need-the-census/ |title=Do we really need the census? |date=26 August 2017 |work=[[The Economic Times]] }}</ref> – this comes to less than $0.50 per person, well below the estimated world average of $4.60 per person.<ref name="pr_census_2011"/> Conducted every 10 years, this census faced big challenges considering India's vast area and diversity of cultures and opposition from the manpower involved.

Information on [[Caste system in India|castes]] was included in the census following demands from several ruling coalition leaders including [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]], and [[Mulayam Singh Yadav]] supported by opposition parties [[Bharatiya Janata Party]], [[Akali Dal]], [[Shiv Sena]] and [[Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Demand-for-caste-census-rocks-Lok-Sabha/articleshow/5887995.cms |title=Demand for caste census rocks Lok Sabha |date=4 May 2010 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> Information on caste was last collected during the [[British Raj]] in 1931. During the early census, people often exaggerated their caste status to garner social status and it is expected that people downgrade it now in the expectation of gaining government benefits.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7122236.ece |title=India to conduct first record of nation’s caste system since days of the Raj |work=[[The Times]] |first1=Rhys |last1=Blakely |date=10 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528201456/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7122236.ece |archive-date=28 May 2010}}</ref> Earlier, There was speculation that there would be a caste-based census conducted in 2011, the first time for 80 years (last was in 1931), to find the exact population of the "[[Other Backward Class]]es" (OBCs) in India.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/obc-data-not-in-2011-census-says-moily/555760/ |title=OBC data not in 2011 Census, says Moily |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=18 December 2009 |first1=Suman K |last1=Jha |access-date=24 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-03-11/india/28125455_1_caste-wise-census-caste-wise-obc-census | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202233810/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-03-11/india/28125455_1_caste-wise-census-caste-wise-obc-census | url-status=dead | archive-date=2 December 2013 | work=[[The Times of India]] |agency=TNN | title=No data since 1931, will 2011 Census be all-caste inclusive? | date=11 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-05-28/news/27587821_1_caste-census-caste-system-affirmative-action | work=[[The Economic Times]] | title=Caste in Census 2011: Is it necessary? | date=28 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202232549/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-05-28/news/27587821_1_caste-census-caste-system-affirmative-action |archive-date=2 December 2013 |first1=Rajindar |last1=Sachar}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-09-01/india/27954417_1_obc-population-nsso-survey-scs-and-sts | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823152201/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-09-01/india/27954417_1_obc-population-nsso-survey-scs-and-sts | url-status=dead | archive-date=23 August 2013 | work=[[The Times of India]] | title=OBCs form 41% of population: Survey | date=1 September 2007}}</ref> This was later accepted and the [[Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011]] was conducted whose first findings were revealed on 3 July 2015 by Union Finance Minister [[Arun Jaitley]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/govt-releases-socio-economic-and-caste-census-for-better-policy-making/story-Ajf4fLjhq9ghHZDDVxYOMP.html |title=Govt releases socio-economic and caste census for better policy-making |date=3 July 2015 |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |agency=Press Trust of India}}</ref> Mandal Commission report of 1980 quoted OBC population at 52%, though National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) survey of 2006 quoted OBC population at 41%.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-11-01/india/27792478_1_obc-count-obc-numbers-nsso | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203020047/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-11-01/india/27792478_1_obc-count-obc-numbers-nsso | url-status=dead | archive-date=3 December 2013 | work=[[The Times of India]] | title=OBc count: 52 or 41%? | date=1 November 2006}}</ref>

There is only one instance of a caste count in post-independence India. It was conducted in Kerala in 1968 by the [[Government of Kerala]] under [[E M S Namboodiripad]] to assess the social and economic backwardness of various lower castes. The census was termed [[Ethnic groups in Kerala#1968 Socio-Economic Survey of Kerala|Socio-Economic Survey of 1968]] and the results were published in the Gazetteer of Kerala, 1971.<ref>G.O.K dew1971: Appendix XVIII</ref>

|Building number <br /> ''Census house number'' <br /> Predominant material of floor, wall and roof of the census house <br /> Ascertain use of actual house <br /> Condition of the census house <br /> Household number <br /> Total number of persons in the household <br /> Name of the head of the household <br /> Sex of the head <br /> Caste status (SC or ST or others)

|Ownership status of the house <br /> Number of dwelling rooms <br /> Number of married couple the household <br /> Main source of drinking water <br /> Availability of drinking water source <br /> Main source of lighting <br /> Latrine within the premises <br /> Type of latrine facility <br /> Waste water outlet connection <br /> Bathing facility within the premises

|Availability of kitchen <br /> Fuel used for cooking <br /> Radio/Transistor <br /> Television <br /> Computer/Laptop <br /> Telephone/Mobile phone <br /> Bicycle <br /> Scooter/Motor cycle/Moped <br /> Car/Jeep/Van <br /> Availing Banking services.

|Name of the person <br /> Relationship to head <br /> Sex <br /> Date of birth and age <br /> Current marital status <br /> Age at marriage <br /> Religion <br /> Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe <br /> Disability <br /> Mother tongue

|Other languages known <br /> '''Literacy status''' <br /> Status of attendance (Education) <br /> Highest educational level attained <br /> Working any time during last year <br /> Category of economic activity <br /> Occupation Nature of industry <br /> Trade or service <br /> Class of worker <br /> Non economic activity

|Seeking or available for work <br /> Travel to place of work <br /> Birthplace <br /> Place of last residence <br /> Reason for migration <br /> Duration of stay in the place of migration <br /> Children surviving <br /> Children ever born <br /> Number of children born alive during last one year

|Name of the person and resident status <br /> Name of the person as should appear in the population register <br /> Relationship to head <br /> gender <br /> Date of birth <br /> Marital status <br /> Educational qualification <br /> Occupation/Activity <br /> Names of father, mother and spouse

| style="text-align:right;"| 940 females

The population of [[India]] as per 2011 census was {{formatnum:1210854977}}.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-activists-are-upset-with-census-disability-numbers/ |title=Why activists are upset with Census disability numbers |date=15 June 2015 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |first1=Zeeshan |last1=Shaikh }}</ref> India added 181.5 million to its population since 2001, slightly lower than the population of [[Brazil]]. India, with 2.4% of the world's surface area, accounts for 17.5% of its population. Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state with roughly 200 million people. Over half the population resided in the six most populous states of [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Bihar]], [[West Bengal]], [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Madhya Pradesh]].{{citation needed|date=June 2019}} Of the 1.21 billion Indians, 833 million (68.84%) live in rural areas while 377 million stay in urban areas.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/About-70-per-cent-Indians-live-in-rural-areas-Census-report/article13744351.ece |title=About 70 per cent Indians live in rural areas: Census report |date=15 July 2011 |work=[[The Hindu]] |agency=Press Trust of India |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161205073130/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/About-70-per-cent-Indians-live-in-rural-areas-Census-report/article13744351.ece |archive-date=5 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS|title=Rural population (% of total population) &#124; Data|website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref> 453.6 million people in [[India]] are migrants, which is 37.8% of total population.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/tamil-nadu-kerala-daily-wages-migrant-population-4410694/ |title=Every 3rd Indian migrant, most headed south |date=5 December 2016 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |first1=Zeeshan |last1=Shaikh }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/minorityview/migration-in-india-is-still-largely-remains-a-social-rather-than-an-economic-phenomenon/ |title=Migration in India still largely remains a social rather than an economic phenomenon |date=5 December 2016 |work=[[The Times of India]] |first1=Pyaralal |last1=Raghavan }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/minorityview/migration-in-india-is-slowly-becoming-more-urban-and-driven-by-economic-factors/ |title=Migration in India is slowly becoming more urban and driven by economic factors |date=10 December 2016 |work=[[The Times of India]] |first1=Pyaralal |last1=Raghavan }}</ref>

! [[States and territories of India|State / <br/> Union Territory]] (UT)

| 5 || style="text-align:left;"|[[Andhra Pradesh]]{{efn|name=preTG}}  

The religious data on India Census 2011 was released by the Government of India on 25 August 2015.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/indias-population-121-09-crores-hindus-79-8-pc-muslims-14-2-pc-census/| title=Census 2011: Hindus dip to below 80 per cent of population; Muslim share up, slows down |first1=Sagnik |last1=Chowdhury |first2=Abantika |last2=Ghosh |first3=Ruhi |last3=Tewari |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=26 August 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826001032/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/indias-population-121-09-crores-hindus-79-8-pc-muslims-14-2-pc-census/ |archive-date=26 August 2015}}</ref><ref name="Muslim population growth slows">{{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Muslim-population-growth-slows/article10336665.ece |title=Muslim population growth slows|first1=Rukmini|last1=S|first2=Vijaita|last2=Singh|date=25 August 2015|work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/c-01.html |title=India Census 2011 |publisher=Censusindia.gov.in |access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref> Hindus are 79.8% (966.3 million) while Sikhs are 20.8 million comprising 1.72% of the population,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/religious-communities-census-2011-what-the-numbers-say/article7582284.ece |title=India's religions by numbers |date=26 August 2015 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> Muslims are 14.23% (172.2 million) in India.<ref name="Muslim population growth slows"/><ref name="auto1">{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Muslim-representation-on-decline/articleshow/48737293.cms |title=Muslim representation on decline |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=31 August 2015 |access-date=31 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hindu-population-declined-Muslims-increased-Census-2011/articleshow/48671407.cms |title=Muslim share of population up 0.8%, Hindus' down 0.7% between 2001 and 2011 |work=[[The Times of India]]  |date=26 August 2015 |access-date=24 July 2016}}</ref> and Christians are 2.30% (28.7 million). According to the 2011 Census of India, there are 57,264 Parsis in India.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/where-we-belong-the-fight-of-parsi-women-in-interfaith-marriages-4900480/ |title=Where we belong: The fight of Parsi women in interfaith marriages |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=24 October 2017 |first1=Ruhi |last1=Bhasin |first2=Ankita Dwivedi |last2=Johri |first3=Preeti |last3=Das }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/Parsi-population-dips-by-22-per-cent-between-2001-2011-study/article14508859.ece |title=Parsi population dips by 22 per cent between 2001–2011: study |date=26 July 2016 |work=[[The Hindu]] |agency=Press Trust of India}}</ref> For the first time, a "No religion" category was added in the 2011 census.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dailyo.in/lifestyle/lokayata-hinduism-atheist-india-religion-narendra-dabholkar/story/1/5954.html |title=Why a Tinder date is better than 72 virgins in paradise |work=[[DailyO]] |date=29 August 2015 |first1=Palash Krishna |last1=Mehrotra}}</ref> 2.87 million were classified as people belonging to "No Religion" in India in the 2011 census<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/against-all-gods-meet-the-league-of-atheists-from-rural-uttar-pradesh/ |title=Against All Gods: Meet the league of atheists from rural Uttar Pradesh |work=[[The Indian Express]] |first1=Hamza |last1=Khan |date=6 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://scroll.in/article/753475/people-without-religion-have-risen-in-census-2011-but-atheists-have-nothing-to-cheer-about |title=People without religion have risen in Census 2011, but atheists have nothing to cheer about |date=7 September 2015 |first=Shoaib|last=Daniyal |work=[[Scroll.in]]}}</ref> 0.24% of India's population of 1.21 billion.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2-87-million-Indians-have-no-faith-census-reveals-for-first-time/articleshow/48689278.cms |date=27 August 2015 |first1=Sivakumar |last1=B |title=2.87 million Indians have no faith, census reveals for first time |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-188-lakh-people-in-tamil-nadu-state-no-religion-in-2011-census-2118958 |title=1.88 lakh people in Tamil Nadu state 'no religion' in 2011 census |date=27 August 2015 |work=[[DNA India]]}}</ref> Given below is the decade-by-decade religious composition of India until the 2011 census.<ref name="censusindia2011">{{cite news |url=http://www.livemint.com/Home-Page/hxXBcoatDPlDVgcjecQDfJ/Muslim-politics-At-a-crossroads.html |work=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] | title=Muslim politics:At a crossroads |date=30 May 2014 |first1=Devendra |last1=Kumar |access-date=28 October 2014}}</ref><ref name="census1">{{cite web| url=http://www.milligazette.com/news/6953-demographic-dividend-and-indian-muslims-i | title= Demographic Dividend and Indian Muslims – i| author= Aariz Mohammed | date= 1–15 May 2013 | work= Milli Gazette| access-date= 15 May 2013}}</ref><ref name="census2">{{cite web | url= http://www.milligazette.com/print/issue/1-15-may-2013/11 | title= Demographic Dividend and Indian Muslims – i | author= Aariz Mohammed | date= 1–15 May 2013 | work= Milli Gazette | access-date= 15 May 2013 | archive-date= 12 August 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180812115038/http://www.milligazette.com/print/issue/1-15-may-2013/11 | url-status= dead }}</ref> There are six religions in India that have been awarded "National Minority" status – Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Parsis.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140121/jsp/nation/story_17847192.jsp |title=National minority status for Jains |work=[[The Telegraph (India)]] |date=20 January 2014 |agency=Press Trust of India |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140124170154/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1140121/jsp/nation/story_17847192.jsp#.UuKchS3fXWc |archive-date=24 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-jains-become-sixth-minority-community-1954568 |title=Jains become sixth minority community |date=21 January 2014 |work=[[DNA India]]}}</ref> Sunnis, Shias, Bohras, Agakhanis and [[Ahmadiyya]]s were identified as sects of Islam in India.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/ahmadiyyas-islam-sects-islam-ahmadiyyas-sect-ahmadiyyas-islam-islamic-sects-islam-india-ahmadiyya-legal-status-2011-census-india-population-india-news-2952701/ |first1=Zeeshan |last1=Shaikh |title=Ahmadiyyas find place as Islam sect in census |date=4 August 2016 |work=[[The Indian Express]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Protest-against-inclusion-of-Ahmediyyas-in-Muslim-census/articleshow/53645457.cms |date=11 January 2016 |agency=TNN |title=Protest against inclusion of Ahmediyyas in Muslim census |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/ahmadiyya-community-census-india-muslims-2954285/ |title=Minority in a minority. The census acknowledges Ahmadis as Muslims. It is a recognition long overdue. |date=5 August 2016 |work=[[Indian Express]]}}</ref> As per 2011 census, six major faiths- Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains make up over 99.4% of India's 1.21 billion population, while "other religions, persuasions" (ORP) count is 8.2 million. Among the ORP faiths, six faiths- 4.957 million-strong [[Sarnaism]], 1.026 million-strong [[Gondi people|Gond]], 506,000-strong [[Sari]], [[Donyi-Polo]] (302,000) in Arunachal Pradesh, [[Sanamahism]] (222,000) in Manipur, [[Khasi people|Khasi]] (138,000) in Meghalaya dominate.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/india-religion-census-fewer-minor-faiths-in-india-now-finds-census-number-of-their-adherents-up-2946824/ |title=Fewer minor faiths in India now, finds Census; number of their adherents up |date=1 August 2016 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |first1=Zeeshan |last1=Shaikh }}</ref> Maharashtra is having the highest number of atheists in the country with 9,652 such people, followed by Kerala.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/o9Soxay5xhcsCiVJl7pTCM/God-versus-Atheism-Bengal-vouches-for-believers.html |title=God versus Atheism, Bengal vouches for believers |first=Soumonty |last=Kanungo |date=10 August 2016 |work=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]]}}</ref>

|[[Hindi language|Hindi]]

Any one above age 7 who can read and write in any language with an ability to understand was considered a literate. In censuses before 1991, children below the age 5 were treated as illiterates. The literacy rate taking the entire population into account is termed as "crude literacy rate", and taking the population from age 7 and above into account is termed as "effective literacy rate". Effective literacy rate increased to a total of 74.04% with 82.14% of the males and 65.46% of the females being literate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/censusinfodashboard/index.html |title= Census Provional Population Totals |access-date=14 February 2013 |publisher= [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India|The Registrar General & Census Commissioner]], India}}</ref>

* [[Demographics of India]]

* [[List of Other Backward Classes]]

{{Commons category|Census of India, 2011}}

* [//censusindia.gov.in/ Census of India Official Website]

* [//censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/paper2/data_files/India2/Table_2_PR_Cities_1Lakh_and_Above.pdf Cities having population 1 lakh and above, Census 2011]