What is the population of India as per the 2011 census?

Appeared in: DSSSB 12 August 2024

Explanation

The official figure for the population of India as per the 2011 Census (the 15th National Census) is 1,210.19 million.
This figure is equivalent to 1.21 billion people.
The 2011 census showed a decadal growth rate of 17.64% from the 2001 census.
This data is crucial for understanding demographic trends and for national planning.

Option A: This figure represents a later population estimate for India, likely for the year 2020 or 2021, and not the official count from the 2011 census.
Option C: This was the official population of India according to the previous census conducted in 2001, not 2011.
Option D: This figure reflects a much more recent population estimate for India, post-2022, by which time the population had surpassed 1.4 billion.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Indian Demographics and Census Data as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Accurate population data is fundamental for public health planning, enabling governments and health organizations to allocate resources, plan for healthcare infrastructure (hospitals, clinics), and design effective health programs.
Epidemiological studies use census data as a denominator to calculate disease prevalence, incidence rates, and mortality rates, which helps in tracking public health trends and identifying at-risk populations.
What if? - If a public health nurse were planning a nationwide immunization campaign and used the 2001 census data (1.02 billion) instead of the 2011 data (1.21 billion), the campaign would severely underestimate the target population by nearly 182 million people, leading to vaccine shortages and failure to achieve herd immunity goals.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the core of the question: It asks for a specific, factual data point – the population of India from the 2011 census.
Recognize this as a direct recall question based on general knowledge, specifically Indian demographics.
Scan the options provided. They are all large numbers representing millions of people.
Recall the widely known approximate figure for India's population in 2011, which was about 1.21 billion.
Convert 1.21 billion to millions. Since 1 billion equals 1,000 million, 1.21 billion is 1,210 million.
Match this calculated figure (1,210 million) to the closest option, which is 1210.19 million.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QxK5Q9I_w8UIG4HhEq7hvl

E6 Comprehensive Textbook of Community Health Nursing for BSc Nursing Students Part 2 — Subpart B (pp 276-535 of 550) p. 33-35

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart C (pp 404-604 of 604) p. 175-177

Practise the full DSSSB 12 August 2024

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.