Question

Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Choose the correct option:

Assertion (A): The Population Enumeration phase of Census 2011 in most parts of India was conducted in February 2011.

Reason (R): House Listing and Housing Census was postponed to ensure simultaneous data collection.

• A. Both & and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
• B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
• C. A is true, but R is false
• D. A is false, but & is true

Answer 1

Answer:

C. A is true, but R is false

Census 2011 Data Collection Phases

• Population Enumeration Phase: This phase was conducted from February 9 to February 28, 2011, across most of India. A revision round followed from March 1 to March 5, 2011.
• Nature of Assertion: The assertion correctly identifies the timing of the Population Enumeration phase, which is a standard operational fact regarding the 15th Indian Census.

Analysis of the Reason (R)

• House Listing and Housing Census: This was the first phase of the 2011 Census, conducted between April and September 2010.
• False Premise: The claim that the House Listing phase was postponed to ensure simultaneous collection is incorrect. In the Indian Census methodology, the House Listing and Housing Census is explicitly scheduled as a distinct, separate phase preceding the Population Enumeration.
• Procedural Facts: The two phases are intentionally separated by time to allow for the creation of an updated house register, which is a prerequisite for the actual population count. Therefore, the separation was not due to a postponement but rather a pre-planned procedural design.