60-second revision
- Census 2011: population about 121 crore, density 382 per sq km, sex ratio 943, literacy about 74%.
- Census 2011: most populous UP; least populous Sikkim; densest Bihar (1,106); sparsest Arunachal Pradesh.
- Census 2011: highest sex ratio Kerala (1,084), lowest Haryana (879); child sex ratio 919.
- Census town = 5,000+ people, 400+ per sq km, 75%+ of male main workers outside farming.
- First train: 16 April 1853, Bombay (Bori Bunder) to Thane.
- NW-1: Haldia–Prayagraj (Ganga); NW-2: Sadiya–Dhubri (Brahmaputra); NW-3: West Coast Canal (Kerala).
- Kandla (Deendayal) port: built to replace Karachi; tidal port in the Gulf of Kachchh.
Population: Census 2011 at a glance
The Census of India is conducted every ten years by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The figures below are from Census 2011, the most recent completed census; they are fixed historical figures and are frequently asked. The next census (Census 2027) is under way — until its results are published, exam questions use the 2011 figures.
| Indicator (Census 2011) | India | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | About 121 crore (1,210.8 million) | Uttar Pradesh | Sikkim |
| Density (persons per sq km) | 382 | Bihar (1,106) | Arunachal Pradesh (17) |
| Sex ratio (females per 1,000 males) | 943 | Kerala (1,084) | Haryana (879) |
| Child sex ratio (0–6 years) | 919 | — | — |
| Literacy rate | About 74% | Kerala (about 94%) | Bihar (about 62%) |
| Decadal growth 2001–2011 | About 17.7% | — | — |
India passed through the stages of demographic transition: before 1921 population grew very slowly (1921 is called the 'year of the great divide'), 1921–1951 saw steady growth, 1951–1981 rapid growth (population explosion) as death rates fell sharply, and growth has slowed since then as birth rates declined.
Settlements
- Rural settlement types: clustered (compact, common in fertile plains), semi-clustered, hamleted (fragmented units called panna, para, palli, nagla or dhani) and dispersed (isolated huts in hilly, forested or desert areas).
- Statutory towns: places with a municipality, corporation, cantonment board or notified town area committee.
- Census towns: places with at least 5,000 people, a density of at least 400 per sq km and at least 75% of male main workers in non-agricultural work.
- Towns can be classified by function: administrative, industrial, transport, commercial, mining, garrison, educational, religious and tourist towns.
Railways
The first passenger train ran on 16 April 1853 from Bori Bunder (Bombay) to Thane, about 34 km. Indian Railways uses three gauges: broad gauge (1.676 m), metre gauge (1 m) and narrow gauge (0.762 m and 0.610 m), with most lines converted to broad gauge under Project Unigauge. The Konkan Railway, completed in 1998, runs about 740 km from Roha (Maharashtra) through Goa to near Mangaluru (Karnataka) and is an engineering marvel with many bridges and tunnels.
Roads
| Project | Connects |
|---|---|
| Golden Quadrilateral | Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata (the four metros) |
| North–South Corridor | Srinagar and Kanyakumari |
| East–West Corridor | Silchar (Assam) and Porbandar (Gujarat) |
National highways are built and maintained by the central government (through agencies such as NHAI), state highways by state governments, and rural roads have been expanded under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. The Border Roads Organisation builds roads in border areas.
Waterways, ports and pipelines
| Item | Key facts |
|---|---|
| NW-1 | Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly, Haldia to Prayagraj (about 1,620 km) |
| NW-2 | Brahmaputra, Sadiya to Dhubri |
| NW-3 | West Coast Canal, Kottapuram to Kollam (Kerala) |
| Kandla (Deendayal Port) | Tidal port in the Gulf of Kachchh, developed after Partition to replace Karachi |
| Mumbai | Large natural harbour |
| Mormugao (Goa) | Iron ore export port |
| Kolkata | Riverine port on the Hooghly, needs constant dredging; Haldia was developed as a subsidiary port |
| Visakhapatnam | Deep, landlocked and well-protected harbour |
| HBJ pipeline | Natural gas from Hazira (Gujarat) to Bijaipur (MP) and Jagdishpur (UP) |
Communication links include the postal network (the six-digit PIN code was introduced in 1972; the first digit indicates the region), telecom and internet, and satellite communication through the INSAT and GSAT series.
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