20. Consider the following statements about Census 2011:
1. Over 60% of India’s population lived in Class I cities.
2. India had 53 urban agglomerations or cities with over one million people.
Which statement is correct?
[UPPSC Block Education Officer Preliminary Examination, 16 Aug 2020]
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: B. 2 only
Explanation: The count of million-plus urban agglomerations and cities was 53. The assertion that more than 60% of all Indians lived in Class I cities is incorrect; fewer than one-third of residents lived in urban areas overall.
19. The latest completed population census in India was held in which year?
[WBCS Preliminary Examination 2020]
A. 1991
B. 2001
C. 2011
D. 2019
Answer: C. 2011
Explanation: India’s last completed decennial enumeration was Census 2011. The next scheduled exercise did not take place in 2021. The 2011 figures therefore remain the reference point for questions about the most recent completed Indian census.
18. Approximately what percentage of India’s population were internal migrants as revealed by Census 2011?
[UPSC Combined Defence Services I, General Knowledge, 2 Feb 2020]
A. 25%
B. 37%
C. 45%
D. 55%
Answer: B. 37%
Explanation: The 2011 Census recorded roughly 45.6 crore internal migrants, about 37% of the population. Migration in census data covers changes in residence for multiple reasons, including marriage, employment and family movement, not only job-related relocation.
17. Which state had India’s highest population density according to Census 2011?
[SSC MTS, 8 Aug 2019 Shift 3]
A. West Bengal
B. Uttar Pradesh
C. Maharashtra
D. Bihar
Answer: D. Bihar
Explanation: Bihar led the states in population density, at approximately 1,106 persons per square kilometre in 2011. West Bengal ranked next at 1,029. Total population and density differ because density also depends on area.
16. Which decimal corresponds to India’s overall literacy rate of 74.04% in Census 2011?
[SSC MTS, 6 Aug 2019 Shift 3]
A. 0.644
B. 0.7404
C. 0.9401
D. 0.8402
Answer: B. 0.7404
Explanation: Dividing 74.04 by 100 gives 0.7404, the decimal form of the census literacy rate. The original percentage is measured for the population aged seven or older and includes both men and women.
15. What were India’s rural and urban sex ratios respectively in Census 2011?
[RPSC Second Grade Teacher, 17 Feb 2019]
A. 969 and 949
B. 959 and 939
C. 949 and 929
D. 939 and 919
Answer: C. 949 and 929
Explanation: The rural sex ratio was 949 females per thousand males, compared with 929 in urban India. Together these contributed to the final national sex ratio of 943. Rural and urban ratios should not be interchanged with child sex ratios.
14. Which state had the highest share of its population living in urban areas in Census 2011?
[Chhattisgarh PSC State Service Examination 2019]
A. Goa
B. Maharashtra
C. Kerala
D. Mizoram
Answer: A. Goa
Explanation: Goa had the largest urban share among states in 2011, about 62%. Maharashtra had a greater number of urban residents, but its total state population was far larger and its urban percentage consequently lower.
13. Which numbered Census of India was conducted in 2011, counting from the first enumeration of 1872?
[AAI Junior Executive Air Traffic Control 2018]
A. 14th
B. 15th
C. 11th
D. 16th
Answer: B. 15th
Explanation: India’s census history is usually counted from the first enumeration in 1872, making Census 2011 the fifteenth. The first fully synchronous census occurred in 1881. This distinction is important when the wording asks about the first census.
12. Which state had the highest total rural population according to Census 2011?
[UPPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2018]
A. Madhya Pradesh
B. Maharashtra
C. Punjab
D. Uttar Pradesh
Answer: D. Uttar Pradesh
Explanation: Uttar Pradesh had India’s largest rural headcount because of its enormous total population and substantial rural settlement base. A state can have a greater percentage rural without exceeding Uttar Pradesh in the absolute number of rural residents.
11. Which state experienced a decline in total population during the 2001–2011 decade?
[UPPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2017]
A. Nagaland
B. Manipur
C. Tripura
D. Sikkim
Answer: A. Nagaland
Explanation: Nagaland was the state with negative decadal population growth according to Census 2011. The other listed northeastern states grew. The 2001–2011 comparison must account for census definitions and cannot be inferred from geographical area alone.
