Census

● Census means to collect, analyse and compile economic-social data of

the population of a certain class, caste, religion living in the area of a
country.
● The Indian Census is one of the largest administrative tasks in the world.
● First modern system of census in British period - Lord Mayo 1872.
● The first official and regular census was conducted in British India in
1881 by "Lord Ripon".
● First Census - Sweden 1794
● First decadal census - USA (1890)

Important point
● The decadal census in India is conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
● The work of the census is done under the provisions of the Census Act,
1948.
● The census is a subject of "Union List" under "Article 246" of the
Constitution of India
● The responsibility of conducting the census rests only with the central
government.
● The Period of 1901-1921 is known as the period of stagnant or
stationary phase of population growth of India.
● The decade 1911-21 saw a decrease in population, that is why the year
1921 is called the year of the great divide of India's population.

Census of India - 2011

● The population of India is 17.5% of the total population of the world.
● India's Decadal growth rate - 17.70%
● India's Annual growth rate - 1.64%
● According to the 2011 census, the total population of India is
approximately 121.09 crores.
● In this, the number of males is 51.47% and the number of females is
48.53%.
● The most populous state in India is Uttar Pradesh (199 million).
● The state with the least population in India is Sikkim (6.08 lakh).
 ● Group of states recorded a very High population growth rate during the
2001-2011 Census of India is- Meghalaya (27.9%), Arunachal Pradesh
(26.0%), Bihar (25.4%).
● Nagaland is the only state in India whose population has decreased.

Largest state in India by area Rajasthan

Smallest state in India by area Goa

Largest union territory in India by area Andaman and Nicobar

The smallest union territory in India by area Lakshadweep

Largest state in terms of population Uttar Pradesh

Smallest state in terms of population Sikkim

State Wise Population

Highest population Minimum population

State 1. Uttar Pradesh - (16.49%) 1. Sikkim (0.05%)

2. Maharashtra - (9.28% 2. Mizoram (0.09%)
3. Bihar -(8.58%) 3. Arunachal Pradesh (0.1%)
4. Goa (0.12%)
4. West Bengal - (7.55%)

Sex Ratio in India

● Sex ratio is defined as the number of females /1000 males.
● Sex Ratio of the country - 943
● National level sex ratio of 0-6 year olds - 919
● State with highest sex ratio - Kerala (1084)
● State with lowest sex ratio - Haryana (879)
● The sex ratio of Delhi, the capital of India, is 868.
● Union Territory with highest sex ratio - Puducherry (1037)
● Union Territory with lowest sex ratio - Daman and Diu (618)
● State with maximum 0-6 sex ratio - Arunachal Pradesh (972)
● State with Minimum Child 0-6 Sex Ratio - Haryana (834)
 Highest Sex ratio low Sex Ratio

State / 1. Kerala (1084) 1. Daman & Diu (618)

UT 2. Puducherry (1037) 2. Dadar & Nagar (774)
3. Tamil Nadu (996) 3. Chandigarh (818)
4. Andhra Pradesh (993) 4. Haryana (879)
5. Chhattisgarh (991) 5. Jammu Kashmir (889)

Literacy in India

Literacy rate is the total percentage of the population of an area at a particular

time aged (Normally seven years) or above who can read and write with
understanding.
● Total Literacy in India -74.04
● Increase in literacy rate during Census 2011 - 8.66%
● Male Literacy in India -82.14%
● Female Literacy in India - 65.46%
● Most Literate District - Sarchip (Mizoram)
● Least Literate District - Alirajpur (Madhya Pradesh)

Highest literacy low literacy

State/UT 1. Kerala (94%) 1. Bihar (61.80%)

2. Lakshadweep (91.85%) 2. Arunachal Pradesh (65.38%)
3. Mizoram (91.33%) 3. Rajasthan (66.11%)
4. Goa (88.70%) 4. Jharkhand (66.41%)

Male Literacy Female Literacy Male Literacy Female Literacy (Minimum)

(Highest) (Highest) (Minimum)

Kerala (96.1) Kerala (92.1) Bihar (71.2) Bihar (51.5)

Lakshadweep Mizoram (89.3) Arunachal Pradesh Rajasthan (52.1)

(95.6) (72.6)

Mizoram (93.3) Lakshadweep Andhra Pradesh Jharkhand (55.4)

(87.9) (74.9)

Goa (92.6) Goa (84.7) Meghalaya (76) Jammu and Kashmir (57.2)

Population Density
● Population Density of India - 382
● Highest Population Density - Bihar (1106)
● Lowest population density - Arunachal Pradesh (17)
● Union Territory with highest population density - Delhi (11,320)
● UT with minimum population density - Andaman and Nicobar (46)

Highest density low density

State/UT 1. Bihar (1106) 1. Arunachal Pradesh (17)

2. West Bengal (1028) 2. Mizoram (52)
3. Kerala (860) 3. Sikkim (86)
4. Uttar Pradesh (829) 4. Nagaland (119)

Scheduled caste
● Scheduled Caste Percentage of Population -16.6%
● Most Scheduled Castes - Uttar Pradesh
● Minimum SC - Mizoram
● Most Scheduled Castes (in percentage) - Punjab (31.9%)
● Minimum Scheduled Caste (in Percentage) - Mizoram

Scheduled Tribe
● The number of Scheduled Tribes in India is 8.6% of the total population
of the country.
● Most Scheduled Tribes Order- Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra-
Odisha-Rajasthan-Gujarat Highest Scheduled Tribe population in India is
found in Madhya Pradesh.
● Madhya Pradesh has the largest Scheduled Tribe population in India.
 ● Most Scheduled Tribes (In Percentage)
Lakshadweep - Mizoram - Nagaland - Meghalaya - Arunachal Pradesh
● Important Point - No Scheduled Tribes are found in Delhi, Chandigarh,
Puducherry, Haryana and Punjab.

Miscellaneous Special
Decadal Growth Rate
● 17.7% - India
● 12.3% - Rural Area
● 31.8% - Urban Area

Rural population
● Most - Uttar Pradesh - Bihar - West Bengal - Maharashtra
● Minimum - Sikkim, Mizoram, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh

Urban population
● Most - Maharashtra - Uttar Pradesh - Tamil Nadu - West Bengal
● Minimum - Sikkim - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram

Religious Census - 2011

● In August 2015, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India
published the religious census data.
● According to this, the total number of Hindus in India is 96.63 crore,
which is 79.8 percent of the total population of the country.
● The total population of Muslims is 17.22 crore, which is 14.2 percent of
the total population of the country.
● The state with the largest population of Hindus is Himachal Pradesh
(95.2 percent).
● The state with the least Hindu population is Mizoram (2.7 percent).
Socio-Economic Status as per the Census 2011:
❖ The word Socio Economic relates to the interaction of social and
economic factors in the nation.
❖ These could include income, education, employment, community safety,
etc all come under socio-economic factors.
❖ Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 is the first-ever census that
generated comprehensive data covering households in both rural and
urban areas.
❖ It was the first paperless census in India, conducted on handheld
electronic devices, in 640 districts.
❖ It was the first-ever caste-based census since the 1931 census of India.
❖ Data was collected on manual scavenging and Transgender count in
India.
❖ The Government of India is planning to use the data collected from
Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011, to implement their Direct Benefit
Transfer (DBT) schemes and to expand Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana,
Aadhar and Mobile Governance (JAM).
Major Findings:
❖ The number of households in India – 24.49 Crore, 17.97 crores live in
villages.
❖ 10.74 crore households are considered deprived.
❖ Approximately 30% of households in rural areas are landless and they
majorly get their income from manual labour.
❖ Around 13% of families in villages live in houses of 1 room.
❖ 56% of rural households lack agricultural land
❖ SECC 2011 recorded a higher number of illiterates than the numbers
recorded in 2011 Census of India.
❖ 60% of rural households are deprived or poor.
❖ 35% of urban households are poor.
❖ 1.80 Lakh households are engaged in manual scavenging for livelihood.
Maharashtra has the highest number of manual scavengers.
❖ 48% of the rural population is female.
Census Part- 2

Scheduled caste
● Scheduled Caste Percentage of Population -16.6%
● Most Scheduled Castes - Uttar Pradesh
● Minimum SC - Mizoram
● Most Scheduled Castes (in percentage) - Punjab (31.9%)
● Minimum Scheduled Caste (in Percentage) - Mizoram

Scheduled Tribe
● The number of Scheduled Tribes in India is 8.6% of the total population
of the country.
● Most Scheduled Tribes Order- Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra-
Odisha-Rajasthan-Gujarat Highest Scheduled Tribe population in India is
found in Madhya Pradesh.
● Madhya Pradesh has the largest Scheduled Tribe population in India.
● Most Scheduled Tribes (In Percentage)
Lakshadweep - Mizoram - Nagaland - Meghalaya - Arunachal Pradesh
● Important Point - No Scheduled Tribes are found in Delhi, Chandigarh,
Puducherry, Haryana and Punjab.

Miscellaneous Special
Decadal Growth Rate
● 17.7% - India
● 12.3% - Rural Area
● 31.8% - Urban Area

Rural population
● Most - Uttar Pradesh - Bihar - West Bengal - Maharashtra
● Minimum - Sikkim, Mizoram, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh

Urban population
● Most - Maharashtra - Uttar Pradesh - Tamil Nadu - West Bengal
● Minimum - Sikkim - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram
Religious Census - 2011
● In August 2015, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India
published the religious census data.
● According to this, the total number of Hindus in India is 96.63 crore,
which is 79.8 percent of the total population of the country.
● The total population of Muslims is 17.22 crore, which is 14.2 percent of
the total population of the country.
● The state with the largest population of Hindus is Himachal Pradesh
(95.2 percent).
● The state with the least Hindu population is Mizoram (2.7 percent).

Socio-Economic Status as per the Census 2011:

❖ The word Socio Economic relates to the interaction of social and
economic factors in the nation.
 ❖ These could include income, education, employment, community safety,
etc all come under socio-economic factors.
❖ Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 is the first-ever census that
generated comprehensive data covering households in both rural and
urban areas.
❖ It was the first paperless census in India, conducted on handheld
electronic devices, in 640 districts.
❖ It was the first-ever caste-based census since the 1931 census of India.
❖ Data was collected on manual scavenging and Transgender count in
India.
❖ The Government of India is planning to use the data collected from
Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011, to implement their Direct Benefit
Transfer (DBT) schemes and to expand Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana,
Aadhar and Mobile Governance (JAM).
Major Findings:
❖ The number of households in India – 24.49 Crore, 17.97 crores live in
villages.
❖ 10.74 crore households are considered deprived.
❖ Approximately 30% of households in rural areas are landless and they
majorly get their income from manual labour.
❖ Around 13% of families in villages live in houses of 1 room.
❖ 56% of rural households lack agricultural land
❖ SECC 2011 recorded a higher number of illiterates than the numbers
recorded in 2011 Census of India.
❖ 60% of rural households are deprived or poor.
❖ 35% of urban households are poor.
❖ 1.80 Lakh households are engaged in manual scavenging for livelihood.
Maharashtra has the highest number of manual scavengers.
❖ 48% of the rural population is female.

Forest
● Forest is a subject of the Concurrent List under the Indian Constitution.
● It was initially a subject in the State List but was included in the
Concurrent List under the 42nd Constitutional Amendment.
Indian forest status report
● The India Forest status report (17th Edition) is published every 2 years .
● This report was published by forest survey of india (FSI) under the
ministry of environment, Forest and climate change, government of
india.
● It was first published in 1987
● In the national forest policy 1988 target was set to increase the total
forest area to 33 % of the total land area of the country
● The total forest and tree cover of the country is 80.9 million hectares
which is 24.62 percent of the geographical area of the country.
● 17 states/UT’s have above 33 percent of the geographical area under
forest cover.
● According to the latest report, there is an increase of 2,261 sq km in the
total forest and tree cover of the country.
● Out of this, the increase in the forest cover has been observed as 1,540
sq km and that in tree cover is 721 sq km.

Forest cover in india

● According to the indian forest status report 2021, the forest cover of
india is 7,13,789 square kilometre
● That area is 21.71%of the total geographical of india
● As compared to 2019 forest report , india has recorded an increment of
1540 sq km forest cover which is 0.22% higher than previous
● Area-wise Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country.
● Maximum increase in forest cover was witnessed in Andhra Pradesh (647
sq km) followed by Telangana (632 sq km) and Odisha (537 sq km).

Forest Cover of India

Class Area % of Total Geographical Area

Very dense forest 99,779 3.04

Moderately dense forest 3,06,890 9.33

Open forest 3,07,120 9.34

 Total forest cover 7,13,789 21.71

Scrub 46,539 1.41

Non-forest 25,27, 141 76.87

Total geographical area 32,87,469 100

Largest forest cover Lowest forest cover

State 1. Madhya pradesh (77493 km sq) 1. Haryana (1603 km sq)

2. Arunachal pradesh (66,431 km sq) 2. Punjab (1847 km sq)
3. Chattisgarh ( 55717 km sq) 3. Goa (2244 km sq)

Increase forest cover Decrease forest cover

State 1. Andhra Pradesh (647 km sq) 1. Arunachal pradesh (257 km

2. Telangana (632 km sq) sq)
3. Odisha (537 km sq) 2. Manipur (249 km sq)
3. Nagaland (235 km sq)

Highest forest cover( in %)

State 1. Mizoram - 84.53%

2. Arunachal pradesh 79.33%
3. Meghalaya - 76 %

Tree cover in india

- According to the report the total tree cover in India is 95,748 square
kilometres.
- It has a total geographical area of 2.91 % .
- The tree cover has increased by 721 sq km which is 0.76% as compared
to 2019 report

U/T biggest forest cover %

 ● Lakshadweep -90.33%
● Andaman and Nicobar- 81.75%

Mangroves area
● The total mangrove forest in the country is 4,992 SqBangalorm sq.
● The area of mangroves increased by 17 km square as compared to 2019.
● It has 0.15% of the total geographical area of the country

Mangroves data - Ranking

State Total Area (in sq.km)

West Bengal 2114

Gujrat 1175

A&N island 616

Andhra pradesh 405

Maharashtra 324

Odisha 259

Mangroves highest Increment -

1.Odisha 2.mahashtra 3.Karnataka

Important Forest Institution

Forest Research Institute Dehradun

Himalayan Forest Research Institute Shimla

Institute of Forest Biodiversity Hyderabad

Rain Forest Research Institute Jorhat (assam)

Tropical Forest Research Institute Jabalpur

Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Coimbatore

Natural History
Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Thiruvananthapuram
Institute