9 February: The first census of independent India started on this day, what was the population then?

India has today become the country with the largest population in the world. According to estimates, India’s population is more than 147 crores. In such a situation, counting such a large population i.e. census is also an important task. This process is considered one of the biggest administrative tasks in India. In such a situation, the history of 9th February is linked to this census. Let us tell you that the first census of independent India was started on 9 February 1951. Let us know what was the population of our country at that time.

How long did the first census last?

The first census of independent India was conducted in the year 1951. The period of this census was from 9 February to 28 February. After this, revision work was done from March 1 to March 3. In this census, information like their name, relations, place of birth, gender, age, economic status, main and supporting means of livelihood, religion, mother tongue and literacy was taken from the people. Let us tell you that this 1951 census was very important due to the change in the borders of the country due to the partition of India, migration of a large number of people and change in the ratio of population on religious basis.

What was India’s population in 1951?

According to the first census of independent India conducted in 1951, the population of India was recorded as 36,10,88,090. According to statistics, during this period only 18 percent of India’s population was literate and India’s average life expectancy was only 32 years. The sex ratio of females in India was 946 for every 1000 males. India’s population consisted of 84.1 percent Hindus, 9.8 percent Muslims, 2.3 percent Christians, 1.9 percent Sikhs and a number of other religions as well.

What is the present population of India?

At present, India has become the most populous country in the world, leaving China behind. According to PIB, India’s population increases by 1.5 crore people every year, which is the highest in the world. About 17 percent of the world’s total population lives in India. According to various reports, the current population of India has crossed 1 billion 47 crores. India’s literacy rate is currently more than 80 percent. Talking about population religiously, according to the 2011 census in India, Hindu population is 79.8 percent, Muslim population is 14.2 percent, Christian population is 2.38 percent, Sikh population is 1.7 percent.

History of census in India

Census in India has been conducted after every 10 years. The last census was conducted in the year 2011 but due to Corona epidemic and other reasons, the census of 2021 was delayed. The most recent history of regular census in India is considered to be during the British period. The British Viceroy Lord Mayo conducted the first census in 1872. However, regular conduct of census started from 1981. Since then, census was started in India every 10 years. Its objective was to collect data on population, literacy, occupation and religion. However, if we go into history, India’s census is also mentioned in the ancient texts Rigveda, Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Mughal Emperor Akbar’s ‘Ain-e-Akbari’ etc.

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