Census Questions (1872-2011)
From census to census, the techniques have been gradually changing with a view to improve the accuracy and quality of the data without losing comparability from one census to the other. The following Chart shows how the census questionnaire, the primary tool of census operations had been developed from census to census taking into account the changing needs of the country.
Census Year Questions
1872: House Register

 

  1. Number of houses, whether terraced, tiled or thatched
  2. Name of Males
  3. Age
  4. Religion
  5. Caste or Class
  6. Race or Nationality or Country of Birth
  7. Occupation
  8. Youths upto age 20 attending school, college or under private tuition
  9. Able to read and write
  10. Name or Designation of Females
  11. Age
  12. Religion
  13. Caste or Class
  14. Race or Nationality or Country of Birth
  15. Youths upto age 20 attending school, college or under private tuition
  16. Able to read and write
  17. Remarks showing number of males and females, blind, deaf, dumb, insane, idiots
    or lepers
1881: Census Schedule
  1. Serial No. Of each inmate
  2. Name
  3. Condition i.e. whether married, unmarried, widow or widower
  4. Sex
  5. Age last birthday
  6. Religion
  7. Religion
  8. Caste, if Hindu, sect, if of other religion
  9. Mother tongue
  10. Place of birth
  11. Occupation of men; also of boys and females who may do work
  12. Education
            1. Under instruction
            2. Not under instruction but able to read and write
            3. Not under instruction and not able to read and write
  13. Infirmities
            1. Unsound mind
            2. Deaf-mutes from birth
            3. Blind
            4. Lepers
1891: Census Schedule
  1. Serial no. and name
  2. Main religion
  3. Sect of  religion
  4. Caste or race-Main caste
  5. Sub-division of caste or race
  6. Male or female
  7. Age
  8. Married, single, or widowed
  9. Parent tongue
  10. Birth district or country
  11. Occupation or means of subsistence
  12. Learning, Knowing, Illiterate
  13. Foreign language known (if any)
  14. If any, be blind, insane, deaf-mute or a leper, enter the infirmity below
1901: Census Schedule
  1. House number
  2. Serial number
  3. Name
  4. Religion
  5. Male or female
  6. Married, Unmarried or widowed
  7. Age
  8. Caste of Hindus & Jains, Tribe, or race of others
  9. Occupation or means of subsistence of actual workers: Principal
  10. Occupation or means of subsistence of actual workers: Subsidiary
  11. Means of subsistence of dependants on actual workers
  12. Birth place
  13. Language ordinarily used
  14. Literate or Illiterate
  15. Know or does not know English
  16. Insane, deaf-mute from birth, totally blind or leper
1911: Census Schedule
  1. Census number painted on the house
  2. Serial number of persons enumerated
  3. Name
  4. Religion (and sect of Christians)
  5. Male or Female
  6. Married, Unmarried or Widowed
  7. Age completed last birthday
  8. Caste of Hindu and Jains, tribe or race of those of other religions
  9. Occupation or means of subsistence of actual workers : Principal Occupation
  10. Occupation or means of subsistence of actual workers : Subsidiary Occupation,
    if any
  11. If dependant, principal occupation or means of subsistence of actual worker on
    whom dependent
  12. District, Province or Country in which born
  13. Language ordinarily spoken in the household
  14. Literate or Illiterate
  15. Whether literate in English
  16. If the person be insane or totally blind or suffering from corrosive leprosy or both
    deaf and dumb from birth, enter as such here
1921: Census Schedule
  1. House No.
  2. Serial number of person
  3. Name
  4. Religion
  5. Male or Female
  6. Married, Unmarried or Widowed
  7. Age
  8. Caste, Tribe or Race
  9. Occupation or means of subsistence of actual workers : Principal
  10. Occupation or means of subsistence of actual workers : Subsidiary
  11. For dependants, the occupation of the worker by whom supported
  12. Birth district
  13. Language ordinarily used
  14. Literate or Illiterate
  15. Whether literate in English
  16. Insane, totally blind, leper or deaf-mute
1931: Census Schedule
  1. Serial No. of house or tenement
  2. Serial No. of person
  3. Name
  4. Religion and Sect
  5. Male or Female (enter M or F)
  6. Married, Unmarried, or Widowed (enter Divorced persons as widowed)
  7. Age (in years to nearest birthday)
  8. Race, Tribe or Caste
  9. Earner or dependant
  10. Principal occupation (this will be blank for dependant)
  11. Subsidiary occupation (occupation of dependants may be given)
  12. Industry in which employed (for organized employees only)
  13. Birth district (or country)
  14. Mother tongue
  15. Other language in common use
  16. Whether literate (i.e., able to write and read a letter)
  17. Whether able to read and write English
  18. Insane, totally blind, deaf-mute or leper
1941: Individual Slip
  1. Name
  2. Sex
  3. Race, Tribe or Caste
  4. Religion
  5. Married, unmarried, widowed or divorced
  6. Age
  7. Number of children born to a married woman and number surviving
  8. Her age at birth of first child
  9. Are you wholly or partly dependent on any one else?
  10. If so, means of livelihood of person on whom dependent
  11. Do you employ
          (a) paid assistants
          (b) members of household?
           If so, how many?
  12. Are you in employment now?
  13. (Only to those who reply in the negative to question 12)
    Are you in search of employment?
    (To those who reply in the affirmative the further question will be put)
    How long have you been in search of it?
  14. Means of livelihood in order of importance
  15. (Only to be asked in regard to means of livelihood of a person shown
    as partly dependent against question 9 or any subsidiary means of
    livelihood returned by other persons against question 14).

    Does this means of livelihood exist throughout the year?
    If not, for what part of the year?
  16. If you are employed by some one else, what is his business?
  17. Were you born in this district? If not, in what district
  18. Mother tongue
  19. Other Indian languages in common use
  20. Can you both read and write? If so, what script do you write?
    Can you only read?
  21. How far have you read? Give any examination passed.
  22. Are you literate in English?
1951: Individual Slip
  1. Name and relationship to the head of the household
  2. Nationality, Religion and Special Group
       Part (a) Nationality
       Part (b) Religion
       Part (c) Special Groups
  3. Civil condition
  4. Age
  5. Birth place
  6. Displaced persons
  7. Mother tongue
  8. Bilingualism
  9. Economic Status
      Part one: Dependency
      Part two: Employment
  10. Principal means of livelihood
  11. Secondary means of livelihood
  12. Literacy and Education
  13. .......(Optional to State Government)*
  14. Sex

Note: (a) Name of States: Assam, Manipur & Tripura; Bihar; Bombay,
               Saurashtra & Kutch; Madhya Pradesh; Vindhya Pradesh; Mysore;
               Orissa; Punjab, PEPSU, Bilaspur, Delhi & Himachal Pradesh;
               Rajasthan & Ajmer; Uttar Pradesh; West Bengal & Sikkim;
               Hyderabad; Travancore-Cochin         

(b) NATURE OF QUESTION NO. 13 OF 1951 CENSUS (OPTIONAL)

  1. Indigenous Persons:
    (a) Are you an indigenous person of Assam?
    (b) If so, state in the nearest bigha,
               (i) the land you own;
              (ii) the land you have rented in cash or in kind from others
  2. Fertility
  3. Unemployment
  4. Number of children born to a married woman and age at birth of the first child
  5. Unemployment
  6. Unemployment
  7. Area of land owned and cultivated by the household
  8. Are you unemployed since 9th Feb. 1951? If so, give reason
  9. Infirmities
  10. Unemployment
  11. Do you cultivate land for which you pay rent? If so,
        (a) how much do you cultivate yourself and or through hired
              labourers; and
        (b) how much do you cultivate through bargadars, bhagdar or
             adhiyars?
  12. Are you unemployed and in search of employment? If so, since
    when?
  13. Duration of marriage and size of family
         (a) Completed years of married life
         (b) Age of mother at first maternity
         (c) Number of children born
         (d) Number now alive
1961: Individual Slip
  1. (a) Name
    (b) Relationship to Head
  2. Age last birthday
  3. Marital Status
  4. (a) Birth place
    (b) Born R/U
    (c) Duration of residence, if born elsewhere
  5. (a) Nationality
    (b) Religion
    (c) S.C./S.T.
  6. Literacy & Education
  7. (a) Mother tongue
    (b) Any other language(s)
  8. Working as Cultivator
  9. Working as Agricultural Labourer
  10. Working at Household Industry
    (a) Nature of work
    (b) Nature of Household Industry
    (c) If Employee
  11. Doing work other than 8, 9 or 10
    (a) Nature of work
    (b) Nature of Industry, Profession, Trade and Service
    (c) Class of worker
    (d) Name of Establishment
  12. Activity, if not working
  13. Sex
1971: Individual Slip
  1. Name
  2. Relationship to head
  3. Sex
  4. Age
  5. Marital Status
  6. For currently married women only
        (a) Age at marriage
        (b) Any child born in the last one year
  7. BIRTH PLACE
        (a) Place of birth
        (b) Rural/Urban
        (c) District
        (d) State/Country
  8. LAST RESIDENCE
        (a) Place of last residence
        (b) Rural/Urban
        (c) District
        (d) State/Country
  9. Duration of Residence at the village or town of enumeration
  10. Religion
  11. S.C. or S.T.
  12. Literacy (L or O)
  13. Educational level
  14. Mother tongue
  15. Other languages
  16. MAIN ACTIVITY
         (a) Broad category
                   (i) Worker (C, AL, HHI, OW)
                  (ii) Non-worker (H, S, T, R, D, B, I, O)
         (b) Place of work (Name of Village/Town)
         (c) Name of Establishment
         (d) Nature of Industry, Trade, Profession or Service
         (e) Description of Work
         (f) Class of worker
  17. SECONDARY WORK
        (a) Broad Category (C, AL, HHI, OW)
        (b) Place of work (Name of Village/Town)
        (c) Name of Establishment
        (d) Nature of Industry, Trade, Profession or Service
        (e) Description of Work
        (f) Class of Worker
1981: Individual Slip (Universal)
  1. Name
  2. Relationship to head
  3. Sex
  4. Age
  5. Marital Status
  6. Mother Tongue
  7. Two Other Language
  8. Religion
  9. Whether SC (1) or ST (2)
  10. Name of Caste/tribe
  11. Literate/Illiterate
  12. Educational attainment
  13. Attending school/college
  14.     (a) Worked any time at all last year? Yes/No
        (b) If Yes in 14A, did you work for major part of last year? Yes/No
  15.     (a) Main Activity last Year ? Yes in 14B(C/AL/HHI/OW), No in 14B(H/ST/D/R/B/I/O)
           if HHI/OW in 15A
          (i) Name of establishment
          (ii) Description of work
          (iii) Nature of industry, trade or service
          (iv) Class of worker
        (b) 14B Yes - Any other work any time last year ? Yes (C/AL/HHI/OW)/No     14B No - Work done any time last year ? (C/AL/HHI/OW)        if Yes in 15B
           (i) Name of Establishment
           (ii) Description of work
           (iii)Nature of industry, trade or service
          (iv) Class of worker
  16. If No in 14A or 14B, seeking/available for work ? Yes/No
1981: Individual Slip(Sample)
  1. Birth of Place
        (a) Place of Birth
        (b) Rural /Urban
        (c) District
        (d) State/Country
  2. Last Residence
        (a) Place of last residence
        (b) Rural /Urban
        (c) District
        (d) State/Country
  3. Reason for migration from place of last residence (Code)
  4. Duration of residence at village or town of enumeration
  5. For all ever-married women only
        (a) Age at marriage
        (b) Number of Children surviving. Male/Female/Total
        (c) Number of Children ever born alive. Male/Female/Total
  6. For Currently married women only
        Any child born alive during last one year
1991: Individual Slip
  1. Name
  2. Relationship to head
  3. Sex
  4. Age
  5. Marital Status
  6. Mother Tongue
  7. Two Other Language
  8. Religion
  9. Whether SC (1) or ST (2)
  10. Name of Scheduled Caste/tribe
  11. Literate/Illiterate
  12. Educational attainment
  13. Attending school/college, Yes/No
  14.     (a) Did you work any time at last year? Yes/No (H/ST/D/R/B/I/O)
        (Including unpaid work on farm or in family enterprise)
        (b) If Yes in 14A, did you work for major part of last year? Yes/No
  15.     (a) Main Activity last Year ? Yes in 14B(C/AL/HHI/OW), No in 14B(H/ST/D/R/B/I/O)
           if HHI/OW in 15A
          (i) Name of establishment
          (ii) Description of work
          (iii) Nature of industry, trade or service
          (iv) Class of worker
        (b) 14B Yes - Any other work any time last year ? Yes (C/AL/HHI/OW)/No     14B No - Work done any time last year ? (C/AL/HHI/OW)        if Yes in 15B
           (i) Name of Establishment
           (ii) Description of work
           (iii)Nature of industry, trade or service
          (iv) Class of worker
  16.     (a) If No in 14A , seeking/available for work ? Yes/No
        (b) If Yes in 16A,Have you ever worked before ? Yes/No
  17.     (a) Whether you are an Ex-serviceman ? Yes/No
        (b) If Yes, in 17A, Pensioner / Non-Pensioner ? Yes/No
  18. Birth of Place
        (a) Place of Birth
        (b) Rural /Urban
        (c) District
        (d) State/Country
  19. Last Residence
        (a) Place of last residence
        (b) Rural /Urban
        (c) District
        (d) State/Country
  20. Reason for migration from place of last residence
  21. Duration of residence at village or town of enumeration
  22. For all ever-married women only
        (a) Age at marriage
        (b) Number of Children surviving. Male/Female/Total
        (c) Number of Children ever born alive. Male/Female/Total
  23. For Currently married women only
        Any child born alive during last one year
2001: Household Schedule
  1. Name of person
  2. Relationship to head
  3. Sex
  4. Age
  5. Current Marital Status
  6. Age at marriage
  7. Religion
  8. If Scheduled caste, write name of the Scheduled caste from the list supplied
  9. If Scheduled Tribe, write name of the Scheduled tribe from the list supplied
  10. Mother Tongue
  11. Other Language known
  12. Literacy Status: Literate -1/ Illiterate -2
  13. Highest educational level attained
  14. if Attending educational institution
  15. if the person is physically/ mentally disabled
  16. Did the person work any time last year. Yes/No
  17. Economic activity of the main or marginal worker
        (i) Category of the economic activity of the Main or Marginal Worker : C-1/Al-2/HHI-3/OW-4
        (ii) Occupation of the person
        (iii) Nature of the industry, trade or services
        (iv) Class of workers: Employer -1/Employee -2/Single Worker -3/ Family Worker - 4
  18. If code '2' (Marginal Worker) or code '3' (Non worker) in column 18 or 19, record code of non ecomomic activity from : Student -1/Household duties -2/Dependent-3/Pensioner - 4/Begger - 5/ Other - 6
  19. If Marginal Worker or Non Worker, is the person seeking/available for work ? Yes-1/No-2
  20. Travel to place of work
        (i) Distance from residence to place of work in kilometers
        (ii) Mode of travel to place of work
  21. Birth Place, Is the person born in this village/town ? Yes/No
        (i) State/Country
        (ii) District
  22. Place of last residence, Has the person come to this village/town from elsewhere?
           if 'No' put dash(-) against Q.22(i) to Q.22(v) or If 'Yes' give the following perticular
        (i) State/Country
        (ii) District
        (iii) At the time of migration, was the place of last residence: Rural -1/Urban-2
        (iv) Reason for Migration
        (v) Duration of stay in this village or town since migration.
  23. Fertility
        (i) Number of children surviving at present
              Daughters(s)
              Son(s)
        (ii) Total number of children ever born alive
              Daughters(s)
              Son(s)
        (iii) Number of children born alive during last one year
              Daughters(s)
              Son(s)
2011: Household Schedule
  1. Name of person
  2. Relationship to head
  3. Sex
  4. Date of Birth and Age
  5. Current Marital Status
  6. Age at marriage
  7. Religion
  8. Scheduled caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe(ST)
  9. Disability
  10. Mother Tongue
  11. Other Language known
  12. Literacy Status: Literate -1/ Illiterate -2
  13. Status of attendance
  14. Highest educational level attained
  15. Worked any time during last year
  16. Category of the economic activity
  17. Occupation
  18. Nature of the industry, trade or services
  19. Class of workers
  20. Non-economic activity
  21. Seeking or available for work
  22. Travel to place of work
        (i) one way distance
        (ii) mode of travel
  23. Fill for person born outside this village/town, Birth Place, If within India, write the present name of village/town, district and State. if outside india, write the present name of the country
  24. Migration characteristics
        Fill for person who has come to this village/town from elsewhere
        Place of last residence
        (a) if within India
        (b) at the time of migration
  25. Reason for migration
  26. Duration of stay in this village/town since migration
  27. Fertility Particulars - Children surviving
              Daughters(s)
              Son(s)
  28.     Children ever born alive
              Daughters(s)
              Son(s)
  29.     Number of children born alive during last one year
              Daughters(s)
              Son(s)