Tables generated in Census

The following tables generated after completion of enumeration work:
A-Series General Population Tables
B-Series General Economic Tables
C-Series Social and Cultural Tables
D-Series Migration Tables
F-Series Fertility Tables
H-Series Tables on Houses and Household Amenities
SC-Series Special Tables for Scheduled Castes
ST-Series Special Tables for Scheduled Tribes
Special Table on Ex-servicemen
Village & Town Directories

Information contained in different series are given below.

1. PRIMARY CENSUS ABSTRACT (PCA):
The PCA gives the data on number of houses and households, total population, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, population in the age group 0-6 years, number of literates, number of main workers classified by nine fold industrial categories, marginal workers and non workers. These data are available down to village level for rural areas and ward level for cities and towns.

2. GENERAL POPULATION TABLES (A SERIES):
These are general population tables having population data.

3. ECONOMIC TABLES (B-SERIES) :
The data on main workers, marginal workers, non workers and non workers seeking work are presented in this series of tables. Data on classification of main and marginal workers by industrial classification of work, occupation, age and educational level, non workers by main activity, age and educational level, and those seeking work by age, educational level and whether they have worked before are available. This data was processed in two stages i.e. Ist phase and IInd phase. In I st t phase 10% samples was taken and the tables were prepared on this 10% sample data. Later on more tables were added in IInd phase which was processed on 100% data.

4. SOCIO-CULTURAL TABLES (C-SERIES) :
This series of tables give the data on age, marital status, educational level, school attendance, mother tongue, bilingualism, trilingualism and religion. Data on marital status, educational level and school attendance are available cross classified by age groups while data on school attendance in the age group 5-19 years has also been classified by work participation..

5. MIGRATION TABLES (D-SERIES) :
Data on migration characteristics like place of birth, place of last residence, reason for migration and duration of residence at the place of enumeration are available through these tables. Data on educational level, economic activity and age distribution of the migrants are also available in these tables. This data was processed in two stages i.e. Ist phase and IInd phase. In Ist phase 10% samples was taken and the tables were prepared on this 10% sample data. Later on more tables pertaining to migrant workers were added in IInd phase which was processed on 100% data.

6. FERTILITY TABLES (F-SERIES) :
This series of tables provide data on female age at marriage, number of children ever born and number of children surviving to ever married women and birth to currently married women during the last year. Data on age at marriage have been classified by duration of marriage while all other data are classified by age of the woman. At state level data are also available by religion, educational level and work status of the woman.

7. HOUSING TABLES (H-SERIES) :
These tables give information on housing and household amenities viz the type of material used for construction; tenure status, number of rooms and household size; availability of electricity, drinking water supply (by source) and toilet facilities to the household and type of fuel used for cooking.

8. SPECIAL TABLES ON SCHEDULED CASTES AND SCHEDULED TRIBES :
These tables give caste/tribe wise characteristics of SC/ST population by various characteristics such as age, sex, education and marital status. Main and Marginal workers of SC/ST are also tabulated separately caste/tribe wise for characteristics like age, sex, education, industrial category and occupations. Non workers are classified by age, sex, education caste/tribe wise. Fertility tables provide information at State/District levels based on Fertility characteristics like age at marriage, duration, births, last year births, children ever born and children surviving. Besides these there are three additional tables for ST population relating to Religion, Mother tongue and Bilingualism at State/District level.

Village Directory and Town Directory :
The Village Directory gives the lists of villages, their area, population, amenities such as schools, drinking water, etc. available to them and land use. The Town Directory gives for each town the area, population in 1991 and in the past censuses, growth rates, density, sex ratio, physical aspects of town, communication, municipal finances, civic, medical, educational and other amenities and trade, commerce, industry and banking facilities. The formats used in the 1981 Census have been adopted by and large in the 1991 Census.

Items collected during Population Enumeration (for each person)

The following items were collected during population enumeration of Census 2001:
1. Name
2. Relation to head of the household
3. Sex
4. Age at last birth day
5. Current marital status
6. Age at marriage
7. Religion
8. Name of Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe
9. Mother tongue
10. Other languages Known
11. Highest educational level attained
12. If attending educational institution
13. Disability status
14. Worker / non –worker
15. Main Worker / Marginal Worker
16. Economic activity of the main or marginal worker
17. Non –economic activity of Marginal worker and non –worker
18. Marginal worker or non-worker – seeking / available for work
19. Distance and mode of travel to place of work
20. Place of Birth
21. Place of last residence
22. Duration of residence at place of enumeration
23. Reason for migration
24. For ever married women (i) Number of children ever born (ii) Number of children surviving
25. For currently married women (i) Births during previous year
26. For the cultivation households (i) Area of land cultivated (ii) Tenancy status

Items collected in House Listing Operations

The following items were collected during 2001 Census house listing operations:
1. Use of the census houses
2. Condition of census houses used as residence
3. Predominant material of the roof, wall and floor or the census houses
4. Type of structure of census houses
5. Number of dwelling rooms
6. Ownership status of the house
7. Number of married couples and whether they have independent sleeping rooms
8. Source of drinking water (e.g., Tap; Hand pump; Tube well; Well; Tank; Pond River;canal; Spring; Other) and its location
9. Source of lighting ( e.g., Electricity; kerosene; Solar energy; Other oil, Any other; No lighting)
10. Availability of bathroom, type of latrine and type of drainage for waste water
11. Availability of separate kitchen and type of fuel used for cooing (e.g., Firewood; Crop residue;Cow dung cake; Coal, Lignite, Charcoal; kerosene; LPG; Electricity; Biogas; Other)
12. Availing of banking services and availability of the specified assets (e.g., Radio, Transistor;Television; Bicycle; Motor Cycle, Moped; Car, Jeep, Van; None of these

Need of Census

The census provides information on size, distribution and socio-economic, demographic and other characteristics of the country's population. The data collected through the census are used for administration, planning and policy making as well as management and evaluation of various programmes by the government, NGOs, researchers, commercial and private enterprises, etc. Census data is also used for demarcation of constituencies and allocation of representation to parliament, State legislative Assemblies and the local bodies. Researchers and demographers use census data to analyze growth and trends of population and make projections. The census data is also important for business houses and industries for strengthening and planning their business for penetration into areas, which had hitherto remained, uncovered.

" In fact in these days you can not take up any serious administrative, economic or social work without referring to the Census Report which is an essential part of every enquiry of every study. Even for solution of minor problems you have often to consult the Census reports" -- Shri Govind Ballabh Pant

What is Census?

Population Census is the total process of collecting, compiling, analyzing or otherwise disseminating demographic, economic and social data pertaining, at a specific time, of all persons in a country or a well-defined part of a country. As such, the census provides snapshot of the country's population and housing at a given point of time.

The common perception is that Population Census is simply a head count of the people of the country.

But it is much more than that.

It is an exercise to collect reliable data on essential characteristics, such as, population, economy activity, social and cultural aspects, migration and demography and present them at the lowest administrative level.

The Census data demonstrates where the nation is positioned at a particular point in respect of various social and economic characteristics in the world.

The population census is also termed as the “snapshot”, as it provides details of the country’s socio-economic and demographic characteristics. The ten yearly census data is very useful for planning for future.

History of Census

'Rig-Veda' reveals that some kind of population count was maintained in during 800-600 BC in India. 'Arthashastra' by 'Kautilya' written in the 3rd Century BC prescribed the collection of population statistics as a measure of state policy for taxation. It contained a detailed description of methods of conducting population, economic and agricultural censuses. During the regime of the Mughal king Akbar, the work 'Ain-e-Akbari' included comprehensive data pertaining to population, industry, wealth and many other characteristics.
A systematic and modern population census, in its present form was conducted non synchronously between 1865 and 1872 in different parts of the country. This effort culminating in 1872 has been popularly labeled as the first population census of India However, the first synchronous census in India was held in 1881. Since then, censuses have been conducted regularly once every ten year.
The Census of India 2001 was the fourteenth census in the continuous series as reckoned from1872 and the sixth since independence. The gigantic task of census taking was completed in two phases. In the first phase, known as House -listing Operations, all building and structures, residential, partly residential or non- residential were identified and listed and the uses to which they were put recorded. Information on houses, household amenities and assets were also collected. In the second phase, known as Population Enumeration, more detailed information on each individual residing in the country, Indian national or otherwise, during the enumeration period was collected.
At the Census 2001, more than 2 million (or 20 lakh) enumerators were deployed to collect the information by visiting every household.