Census 2011 Highlights

• Census History & Administration

  • First census: 1872 (Viceroy Mayo).
  • First decennial/scientific census: 1881 (Viceroy Ripon).
  • Census Commissioner: Supreme officer for conducting census.
  • First Census Commissioner of India: W.C. Plowden.
  • 2011 Census: 15th overall census, 7th since independence (post-1951), 14th decennial census.
  • "Great Divide" decade: 1911-1921, population decreased due to famine and epidemics, 1921 is called "Great Divide Year".
  • 2011 Census Commissioner: C. Chandramouli.
  • 2011 Census Motto: "Our Census, Our Future".

• Population Statistics (2011)

  • India's population: 121.09 crore (second globally at the time, now first).
  • Decennial growth rate (2001-2011): 17.7%.
  • Male population: 51.47%.
  • Female population: 48.53%.

• Geographical Area (States & UTs)

  • Largest state by area: Rajasthan.
  • Smallest state by area: Goa.
  • Largest UT by area: Ladakh.
  • Smallest UT by area: Lakshadweep.

• Population Distribution (States)

  • States with Highest Population:
    1. Uttar Pradesh (16.51% of India's population)
    2. Maharashtra (9.28%)
    3. Bihar (8.6%)
    4. West Bengal (7.54%)
  • States with Lowest Population:
    1. Sikkim (0.05%)
    2. Mizoram (0.09%)
    3. Arunachal Pradesh (0.11%)
    4. Goa (0.12%)

• Population Growth Rate (States)

  • States with Highest Decennial Growth (2001-2011):
    1. Meghalaya (27.9%)
    2. Arunachal Pradesh
    3. Bihar
    4. Mizoram
  • States with Lowest/Negative Decennial Growth:
    1. Nagaland (-0.6%, only state with negative growth)
    2. Kerala
    3. Goa
    4. Andhra Pradesh

• Population Density

  • India's population density: 382 persons/sq km.
  • States with Highest Density:
    1. Bihar (1106 persons/sq km)
    2. West Bengal
    3. Kerala
    4. Uttar Pradesh
  • States with Lowest Density:
    1. Arunachal Pradesh (17 persons/sq km)
    2. Mizoram
    3. Sikkim
    4. Manipur
  • Highest Population Density (UT/Overall): Delhi (approx. 10 times higher than Bihar).

• Sex Ratio (Females per 1000 Males)

  • India's Sex Ratio: 943.
  • States with Highest Sex Ratio:
    1. Kerala (1084, only state with >1000)
    2. Tamil Nadu
    3. Andhra Pradesh
    4. Manipur
  • States with Lowest Sex Ratio:
    1. Haryana (879)
    2. Sikkim
    3. Punjab
    4. Uttar Pradesh

• Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years)

  • Highest Child Sex Ratio: Arunachal Pradesh (972).
  • Lowest Child Sex Ratio: Haryana (834).

• Literacy Rate (7 years and above)

  • India's Literacy Rate: 73%.
  • Male Literacy: 80.09%.
  • Female Literacy: 64.60%.
  • States with Highest Literacy Rate:
    1. Kerala (94%)
    2. Mizoram
    3. Goa
    4. Tripura
  • State with Lowest Literacy Rate:
    1. Bihar (61.80%)

• Rural & Urban Population

  • State with Highest Percentage of Rural Population: Himachal Pradesh (90%).
  • State with Highest Percentage of Urban Population: Goa (62.2%).
  • State with Highest Number of Urban Population: Maharashtra (5.08 crore).

• Scheduled Castes (SC) Population

  • State with Highest SC Population (Count): Uttar Pradesh (~5.25 crore).
  • State with Highest SC Population (Percentage of State's Population): Punjab (31.9%).

• Scheduled Tribes (ST) Population

  • State with Highest ST Population (Count): Madhya Pradesh (~1.5 crore).
  • State with Highest ST Population (Percentage of State's Population): Mizoram (94%).

Current Affairs (July 5, 2025)

• International Relations

  • Russia became the first country to officially recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan, referring to it as "Islamic Emirate." This move is seen as an attempt to counter the USA.
  • Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) opened its first international representative office in Dubai, UAE, inaugurated by India's Steel Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, to boost steel exports.
  • India and Spain declared 2026 as the Year of Culture, Tourism, and Artificial Intelligence.

• Defense & Technology

  • China successfully tested the Feitian-2 hypersonic missile. It is fueled by a blend of kerosene and hydrogen peroxide and uses atmospheric oxygen directly (Air-breathing Ramjet engine), eliminating the need for an onboard oxidizer.
  • IAS Nirdeshak, the second survey ship of its kind, was commissioned.
  • Russia announced the development of an mRNA vaccine for cancer.
  • "Kisan Kavach" drones were developed for pesticide spraying.
  • ISRO launched India's first Analog Space Mission in Ladakh.
  • The "Blackout Bomb" is associated with China.
  • Starlink launched services in Sri Lanka.
  • The Garud Shakti exercise is conducted between India and Indonesia.
  • Vajra Prahar, Cop India, and Tarkash exercises are conducted between India and the USA.

• Awards & Appointments

  • Sukanya Sonowal (Assam's Lakhimpur Kheri district) was appointed Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassador for 2025-27.
  • Manika Batra was the only Indian player in the Asian team to win the TT Warner Cup 2024 in Norway.
  • Ram Mandir in Ayodhya received the British Security Council's "Sword of Honor Award".
  • Justice Madan Lokur was appointed President of the UN Internal Justice Council.
  • Prime Minister Modi received Kuwait's highest honor, "The Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer." He also recently received awards from Cyprus and Ghana.
  • Stream Keyr received the Sahitya Akademi Award 2024 in the English category; Gagan Gill received it in Hindi.
  • Bhanu Mustaq, a Kannada writer, won the International Booker Prize for her book "Heart Lamp," translated into English by Deepa Bisht.
  • Deepika Padukone became the first Indian actress to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her debut film was "Om Shanti Om" (2007).
  • Shobha Thole became the first woman from a developing country to be appointed President of the International Brain Research Organization.
  • Osamu Suzuki, an architect of India's car revolution, passed away (from Japan). He received the Padma Vibhushan in 2025 (as per lecture, 2015 is actual).
  • Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh received the Padma Vibhushan in 1987.

• Economy & Finance

  • SEBI (Security Exchange Board of India) banned US-based global trading giant Jane Street for engaging in illegal profit-making activities in India.
    • SEBI was established in 1988 with an act in 1992 (following the Harshad Mehta scam).
    • Current Head: Tuhin Kanta Pandey.
    • First female Head: Madhabi Puri Buch.
    • SEBI regulates India's share market, including BSE (Sensex index) and NSE (Nifty index), both located on Dalal Street, Mumbai.
  • SBI (State Bank of India) launched Global Trade Finance Centers in Kolkata and Hyderabad to promote import-export services and enhance ease of doing business. These centers will utilize AI and digital tools.
    • SBI was formed on July 1, 1955, by nationalizing the Imperial Bank of India (which was formed in 1921 by merging Bank of Calcutta, Bank of Madras, and Bank of Bombay).
    • Headquarters: Nariman House, Mumbai.
  • GST Council's 55th meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, was held in Jaisalmer. (Article 279A deals with GST Council).

• Sports

  • The first-ever Khelo India Water Sports will be held in Dal Lake, Srinagar. The event will last three days and include Canoeing, Rowing, Shikara Race, Water Skiing, and Dragon Race. (Shikara refers to the traditional boats in Dal Lake, Uber Shikara was recently launched there).
  • Other Khelo India Games:
    • 7th Khelo India Youth Games (2025): Held in Bihar, mascot was Gaj Singh, Maharashtra topped the medal tally.
    • Khelo India University Games: To be held in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
    • Khelo India Para Games: Held in Delhi, mascot was Ujjwala (a sparrow), Haryana topped the medal tally.
    • First Khelo India Beach Games: Held in Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu, Manipur topped the medal tally.
  • Koneru Humpy won the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship 2024 in the USA.

• Urban Development & Governance

  • The first National Conference of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) was held in Manesar, Haryana.
  • Three municipal corporations were recognized as best performing:
    • Lucknow: For promoting electric vehicles.
    • Pune: For waste management.
    • Indore: For GPS-enabled sanitation services.
  • The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs organized the conference.
  • Indore declared begging a crime from January 1, 2025.

• Miscellaneous

  • The 128th birth anniversary of Alluri Sitarama Raju was observed. He led the Rampa Rebellion against the Madras Forest Act of 1882, which restricted tribal rights to forest resources and shifting cultivation.
  • Sursa is a variety of ginger, launched by the Indian Institute of Spices Research in Kozhikode.
  • The "Bring It On: The Incredible Story of My Life" is a book by Indian para-athlete Deepa Malik.
  • Madhya Pradesh was included in the Wall Street Journal's "Go-To Global Destination for 2025" list.
  • India's first road built with Bio-Bitumen on NH 44 was inaugurated in Maharashtra.
  • The theme for the Republic Day Parade 2025 is "Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas" (Golden India: Heritage and Development).
  • The "U-WIN" mobile app is for vaccination purposes.
  • The "Chhok" book is by Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee.
  • The President appointed Home Secretary IAS Ajay Kumar Bhalla as the Governor of Manipur, followed by the imposition of President's rule there.
  • The Women's Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will be held in Bihar.
  • Tribhuvan Cooperative University, India's first cooperative university, had its foundation laid in Anand, Gujarat. Tribhuvandas K. Patel was a founder of Amul.
  • Rajasthan disbanded 9 districts from the 17 created by the previous government, bringing the total to 41 districts.
  • The 21st Third Eye Asian Film Festival was held in Mumbai.
  • The first free Air Ambulance Service in India was launched in Nainital, Uttarakhand, by Prime Minister Modi.
  • The Deepam 2.0 Yojana in Andhra Pradesh aims to provide free gas cylinders.
  • Deceased former Justice K.M. Puttaswamy was associated with the judgment establishing the Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right.
  • The foundation stone for the Right to Information (RTI) Museum was laid in Beawar, Rajasthan, where the RTI movement began.
  • The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman is V. Ram Subramanyam.
  • Veer Bal Diwas is celebrated annually on December 26.