Q50. Which Union Territory had the smallest population according to Census 2011?
[SSC MTS, 16 October 2024, Shift 3]
(A) Lakshadweep
(B) Daman and Diu
(C) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(D) Delhi
Answer: (A) Lakshadweep
Explanation: Lakshadweep had approximately 64,000 people in the 2011 Census, making it the least populous Union Territory. Its small island area and distance from the mainland help explain the modest absolute population size.
Q49. Which article of the Constitution concerns legislative authority under which population census falls?
[SSC MTS, 14 October 2024, Shift 2]
(A) Article 179
(B) Article 246
(C) Article 233
(D) Article 128
Answer: (B) Article 246
Explanation: Article 246 distributes lawmaking powers through the Union, State and Concurrent Lists. Census is placed in the Union List, enabling Parliament to legislate on the subject; the Census Act of 1948 provides the operative statute.
Q48. In which year was the Census Act enacted in India?
[SSC MTS, 8 October 2024, Shift 1]
(A) 1950
(B) 1948
(C) 1949
(D) 1951
Answer: (B) 1948
Explanation: The Census Act was enacted in 1948 to provide a legal foundation for systematic enumeration after independence. The first census held under the post-independence legal framework was the 1951 census, making these dates useful to distinguish.
Q47. What was India’s overall sex ratio in Census 2011?
[SSC MTS, 7 October 2024, Shift 1]
(A) 950
(B) 998
(C) 943
(D) 933
Answer: (C) 943
Explanation: The final 2011 count reported 943 females per thousand males. This represented an improvement from 933 in 2001. Sex ratio is measured for the entire population and should not be confused with the separate child sex ratio.
Q46. Which group of Union Territories had the highest population density in Census 2011?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 24 September 2024, Shift 1]
(A) Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, Puducherry
(B) Delhi, Chandigarh, Daman and Diu
(C) Delhi, Chandigarh, Puducherry
(D) Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, Chandigarh
Answer: (C) Delhi, Chandigarh, Puducherry
Explanation: Delhi, Chandigarh and Puducherry formed the highest-density group of Union Territories in 2011. Major built-up areas with comparatively limited land areas produce high densities, while more dispersed island territories usually record lower figures.
Q45. Consider these statements about India’s census:
1. The first all-India census was attempted in 1872.
2. Decennial censuses became a regular feature from 1881.
Which statement(s) is/are correct?
[UPSC CDS-II (General Knowledge), 1 September 2024]
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Explanation: Both statements are correct. The 1872 census was an initial, non-synchronous enumeration. The 1881 census provided a more uniform and simultaneous national count, establishing the regular decennial sequence subsequently followed in India.
Q44. Which of the following states had the highest population density according to Census 2011?
[RPSC Assistant Professor (Geography Paper II), 18 May 2024]
(A) West Bengal
(B) Bihar
(C) Uttar Pradesh
(D) Maharashtra
Answer: (B) Bihar
Explanation: Bihar recorded about 1,106 persons per square kilometre in the final 2011 Census, the highest among states. West Bengal followed with about 1,029. Rankings should use population relative to area, not absolute population, where Uttar Pradesh stood first.
Q43. Literacy rate measures the percentage of a defined age group that can do what?
[SSC GD Constable, 7 March 2024, Shift 2]
(A) Read only
(B) Speak
(C) Read and write
(D) Write only
Answer: (C) Read and write
Explanation: Literacy requires the ability to read and write with understanding, not merely to speak or recognise letters. For India’s Census 2011, the standard literacy rate is calculated for people aged seven years and above.
Q42. What was the female literacy rate in India according to Census 2011?
[SSC GD Constable, 29 February 2024, Shift 3]
(A) 82.8%
(B) 65.46%
(C) 74.04%
(D) 39.3%
Answer: (B) 65.46%
Explanation: Female literacy was about 65.46% in 2011, compared with approximately 82.14% for males. The gap highlights inequalities in access to education, although female literacy grew faster than male literacy during the preceding decade.
Q41. What is the process of collecting, compiling, analysing and disseminating data about all people in a country at a specified time called?
[SSC GD Constable, 20 February 2024, Shift 1]
(A) Population
(B) National Survey
(C) Population Census
(D) Constitution
Answer: (C) Population Census
Explanation: A population census is a comprehensive statistical enumeration at a specified reference time. It collects demographic, social and economic characteristics of residents, allowing planners to assess population size, composition and spatial distribution throughout the country.
