Question

In which of the following years was the Census Act enacted and extended to the whole of India?

• A. 1950
• B. 1948
• C. 1949
• D. 1951

Answer 1

Answer:

B. 1948

Census Act, 1948

• The Census Act was enacted in 1948.
• This act was extended to the whole of India in the same year, 1948.
• This legislation provides the legal framework for conducting the census in India.
• The Act empowers the Central Government to appoint a Census Commissioner and other officers to carry out the census.
• It also outlines the duties and responsibilities of every person in relation to the census.
• The census, conducted under this act, is a vital source of demographic data for policy-making and planning.
• The first census in India was conducted in 1872 under British rule, though it was not a synchronized nationwide effort.
• The first synchronized census of India took place in 1881.
• Post-independence, the Census Act of 1948 continues to govern the process.
• The data collected through the census is crucial for delimitation of constituencies, allocation of resources, and understanding population trends.