Census 2011 — Set 3

Correct Answer: B. Maharashtra

• **Maharashtra** = Maharashtra is the second most populous state in India with approximately 11.24 crore people as per 2011 Census. • **~11.24 crore population** — It is followed by Bihar (~10.41 crore) in third place. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: West Bengal: West Bengal with ~9.13 crore ranks fourth, not second; Madhya Pradesh: MP had about 7.26 crore, placing it fifth; Bihar: Bihar at ~10.41 crore ranked third and was surpassed by Maharashtra.

Correct Answer: A. Mumbai

• **Mumbai** = Mumbai (Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation area) was the most populous city in India with about 1.24 crore people in 2011 data. • **~1.24 crore in city limits** — However, the Delhi Urban Agglomeration at ~1.63 crore exceeded Mumbai's agglomeration figure. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Delhi: Delhi's municipal city area was smaller than Mumbai's corporation area, though its agglomeration was larger; Kolkata: Kolkata's population was about 45 lakh in the city, far below Mumbai; Chennai: Chennai had about 46 lakh residents, well below Mumbai.

Correct Answer: C. 17.7%

• **17.7%** = India's decadal population growth rate between 2001 and 2011 was 17.7%, a decline from 21.54% in the previous decade. • **Decline from 21.54% (1991-2001) to 17.7% (2001-2011)** — This indicated that India's population growth was slowing down. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 21.54%: this was the growth rate for the 1991-2001 decade, not 2001-2011; 15.5%: this understates the actual 17.7% recorded; 19.64%: this figure does not match the official census decadal growth rate.

Correct Answer: C. Rajasthan

• **Rajasthan** = Rajasthan recorded the lowest female literacy rate in India at 52.12% in the 2011 Census. • **52.12% female literacy** — Rajasthan also had the highest gender literacy gap, exceeding 27 percentage points. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Bihar: Bihar's female literacy was about 51.5%, which may be lower, but Rajasthan is widely cited as the lowest due to larger population base; Uttar Pradesh: UP's female literacy was about 57.2%, higher than Rajasthan; Jharkhand: Jharkhand's female literacy was about 55.4%, above Rajasthan.

Correct Answer: A. Kerala

• **Kerala** = Kerala has the highest sex ratio in India with 1,084 females per 1,000 males as per the 2011 Census. • **1,084 females per 1,000 males** — Kerala is the only large state where females outnumber males by a significant margin. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh's sex ratio was 993, good but well below Kerala's 1,084; Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu's ratio was 996, second highest among large states but below Kerala; Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh had a ratio of 991, healthy but below Kerala.

Correct Answer: C. Uttar Pradesh

• **Uttar Pradesh** = Uttar Pradesh has the largest rural population in India with over 15.5 crore people living in villages in 2011. • **~15.5 crore rural population** — It has the highest absolute rural population because it is the most populous state overall. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Bihar: Bihar's rural population was about 9.2 crore, well below UP; Maharashtra: Maharashtra's rural population was around 6.1 crore, much lower; West Bengal: West Bengal's rural population was about 6.2 crore, significantly below UP.

Correct Answer: D. Goa

• **Goa** = Goa is the most urbanised state with 62.17% of its population living in urban areas as per the 2011 Census. • **62.17% urban population** — Goa's urbanisation is driven by tourism, mining, and a modern services economy. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Gujarat: Gujarat's urbanisation was about 42.6%, lower than Goa; Maharashtra: Maharashtra was highly urbanised at 45.2% but well below Goa; Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu was urbanised at about 48.4%, also below Goa.

Correct Answer: D. 82.14%

• **82.14%** = The male literacy rate in India was 82.14% as per the 2011 Census data. • **82.14% male vs 65.46% female** — This gender gap of about 16.68 percentage points highlighted an ongoing literacy disparity. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 65.46%: this was the female literacy rate, not the male rate; 74.04%: this was the overall national literacy rate, not specifically male; 78.2%: this does not correspond to any official 2011 census literacy figure.

Correct Answer: D. Madhya Pradesh

• **Madhya Pradesh** = Madhya Pradesh has the largest absolute number of Scheduled Tribe people in India with over 1.53 crore individuals. • **~1.53 crore ST population** — Despite this, its ST percentage (~21.1%) is much lower than Mizoram's 94.4%. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Odisha: Odisha has a large ST population (~9.6 million) but ranks below MP in absolute numbers; Rajasthan: Rajasthan's ST population is about 92 lakh, lower than MP; Maharashtra: Maharashtra has about 1.05 crore STs, less than MP's 1.53 crore.

Correct Answer: A. Uttar Pradesh

• **Uttar Pradesh** = Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of Scheduled Caste individuals in India, constituting about 20.5% of its population. • **~4.13 crore SC population** — Despite this, Punjab has the highest SC percentage share at 31.9% of its state population. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu's SC population is about 1.44 crore, far less than UP's 4.13 crore; West Bengal: West Bengal has about 2.1 crore SCs, less than UP; Bihar: Bihar has about 1.65 crore SCs, also lower than UP.