Census 2011
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| Census 2011 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Census 2011 |
| Country | India |
| Year | 2011 |
| Authority | Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India |
| Population | 1,210,193,422 |
| House | Households |
| Previous | 2001 |
| Next | 2021 |
Census 2011 Census 2011 was the fifteenth national enumeration conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India and produced comprehensive population statistics used by institutions such as the Planning Commission (India), Reserve Bank of India, and Ministry of Home Affairs (India). The operation involved coordination among the Registrar General of India, state governments like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and agencies including the National Sample Survey Office and the Election Commission of India, influencing policy debates in forums such as the Parliament of India and studies by the World Bank.
Overview
The enumeration recorded a total population of 1,210,193,422 and provided detailed counts across states like Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu, alongside union territories such as Delhi and Puducherry. Results were published by the Census Commissioner of India and interpreted by demographers at institutions including the International Institute for Population Sciences and think tanks like the Center for Policy Research, informing analyses by scholars from Jawaharlal Nehru University and IIM Ahmedabad.
Methodology and enumeration
Fieldwork employed enumerators supervised by district officials from bodies such as the District Magistrate and the State Election Commission (India), using schedules adapted from prior operations like the 2001 census and methods endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission. Training involved officers from the Indian Statistical Institute and protocols referencing standards set by the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization, while enumeration covered urban wards administered by municipal bodies like the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and rural panchayats under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Key demographic results
Data revealed a decadal growth rate compared with 2001, sex ratio shifts with figures for states such as Kerala and Haryana, literacy rates reported for regions including Kerala, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh, and age-structure details relevant to analysts at the United Nations Population Fund and the Population Council. Population concentrations were noted in metropolitan areas such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai, while migration patterns were examined by researchers at Institute for Human Development and policy units within the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Socioeconomic and housing data
Tables included occupation classification comparable to systems used by the International Labour Organization, workforce participation figures with breakdowns for states like Punjab and Assam, and housing statistics covering amenities tracked by agencies such as the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Data on household assets, access to water and sanitation, and fuel for cooking were used by programs like Swachh Bharat Mission and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and analyzed by NGOs including Pratham and academics from Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Geographic and administrative breakdown
Results were released at multiple administrative levels—national, state, district, sub-district, town and village—enabling comparisons among districts such as Thane district and Kolkata district and informing boundary assessments affecting entities like the Delimitation Commission of India. Urban classification impacted municipal corporations and notified areas including the Bharuch Urban Agglomeration and rural designations under the Census of India (Town), with spatial analysis undertaken by institutes such as the National Remote Sensing Centre and the Survey of India.
Data processing, quality and controversies
Processing involved data entry centers managed by organizations including the National Informatics Centre and quality checks informed by methods recommended by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; controversies arose over enumeration in sensitive areas like Jammu and Kashmir and questions about undercounting discussed in hearings before the Supreme Court of India. Debates involved critiques from scholars at Centre for the Study of Developing Societies and commentators in outlets such as The Hindu and The Economic Times regarding sampling, caste and religion data omission, and urban-rural classification.
Impact and uses of the data
Census outputs guided fiscal transfers administered through mechanisms shaped by the Finance Commission of India and planning by agencies including the NITI Aayog, supported electoral rolls maintained by the Election Commission of India, and underpinned health initiatives coordinated with the National Health Mission and education programs run by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. International organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank used the data for comparative studies, while researchers at institutions such as Institute of Economic Growth and policy analysts in ministries employed the datasets for longitudinal studies and program targeting.