NEWS:Census 2027 to maintain 2011 urban area definition for consistent urbanization trend analysis preparatory work begins
GS-2 governance
- Census 2027 will maintain the 2011 Census definition of an urban area to ensure uniformity in comparing urbanization trends.
- In 2011, an urban unit was defined as having a minimum population of 5,000, a density of 400 persons per sq. km, and 75% of the male working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits.
- As per the 2011 Census, 68.8% of Indians lived in rural areas, while 31.2% resided in urban areas.
- There were 6,40,867 villages and 15,870 urban units in India in 2011.
- Administrative boundaries across the country will be frozen on January 1, 2026, before the first phase of Census 2027, which starts on April 1, 2026.
The 2011 Census of India was the 15th Census since 1872 and the 7th after Independence. It is the most recent completed census
Total population: 1.21 billion (121.08 crore)
- Males: 623.7 million
- Females: 586.5 million
India accounted for 17.5% of the world’s population.
Decadal growth rate (2001–2011): 17.7% (down from 21.5% in 1991–2001).
Sex Ratio
- Overall sex ratio: 940 females per 1000 males (up from 933 in 2001).
- Child sex ratio (0–6 years): 919, the lowest since Independence.
🎓 Literacy
- Overall literacy rate: 74.04%
- Male literacy: 82.14%
- Female literacy: 65.46%
- Gap between male–female literacy reduced to 16.68 percentage points (from 21.59 in 2001).
🏠 Rural–Urban Distribution
- Rural population: 833.1 million (68.84%)
- Urban population: 377.1 million (31.16%)
- Urban growth rate: 31.8% (2001–2011).
🌍 States & UTs
- Most populous state: Uttar Pradesh (199.8 million).
- Least populous state: Sikkim (0.61 million).
- Most densely populated state: Bihar (1106 persons/sq km).
- Least densely populated state: Arunachal Pradesh (17 persons/sq km).
🧒 Age Composition
- Children (0–6 years): 13.1% of total population.
- Youth (15–24 years): ~19%.
NEWS:UN backed IPC confirms man made famine in Gaza amid Israeli restrictions raising war crime allegations and international outrage
GS-2 international relation
- A UN-backed body, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), confirmed a “man-made famine” in Gaza’s largest city and surrounding areas.
- At least one in five households in Gaza faces extreme food shortages, with a third or more of all children acutely malnourished.
- Since May 2025, the UN estimates that over 1,300 Palestinians have been killed at food centers.
- Israel imposed a total three-month blockade on all goods entering Gaza after breaking a ceasefire in March 2025.
Detailed Insights:
- Israel has imposed restrictions on goods entering Gaza since 2007, which were tightened after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
- The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S. and Israel-backed organization, replaced the UN-led food distribution system, leading to direct Israeli control over food distribution.
- Desperate Palestinians were shot down by Israeli troops and GHF volunteers at limited food centers, resulting in over 1,300 deaths since May 2025.
- Despite international outrage and ceasefire proposals, Israel has intensified attacks on Gaza city, indicating an intent to destroy Palestinian life and society.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, established in February 2025, is a U.S. and Israeli–backed nonprofit organization headquartered in Delaware. It was formed to deliver emergency food aid in the Gaza Strip via Secure Distribution Sites (SDSs), aiming to bypass traditional UN-led mechanisms such as UNRWA and the World Food Programme. GHF claims it has distributed tens of millions of meals, including more than 67 million meals through pilot programs in cooperation with local NGOs
NEWS:ASI faces credibility crisis over Keeladi excavation controversy inconsistent methodologies and alleged nationalistic bias raising questions on archaeological integrity
GS-1 indian culture
- Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) faces scrutiny after archaeologist K. Amarnath Ramakrishna’s transfer from Keeladi excavation site in Tamil Nadu.
- Keeladi excavations (started in 2014) revealed 7,500 artefacts, indicating a sophisticated, literate urban society dating back to the Iron Age.
- ASI halted the third phase of Keeladi excavation, sparking political tensions; the Madras High Court transferred the site to the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology.
- ASI’s handling of excavations at Adichanallur and Sivagalai sites in Tamil Nadu contrasts with its approach to the Rajasthan excavation, raising concerns about methodological consistency.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
Overview
- Founded: 1861 by Sir Alexander Cunningham during the British Raj.
- Purpose: Conduct archaeological research, excavate, conserve, and preserve India’s historical monuments and sites .
- Jurisdiction: Operates under the Ministry of Culture, India; headquartered in New Delhi.
Core Functions
- Maintains over 3,600–3,700 centrally protected monuments and archaeological sites across the country.
- Surveys, excavates, and protects heritage sites; conducts epigraphical, numismatic, and architectural studies; sets up site museums; and provides training in archaeology.
- Enforces regulations under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958, and the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972.
- Organized into approximately 34–37 Circles across India, each headed by a Superintending Archaeologis.
NEWS:ISRO successfully conducts Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT 1) using Chinook helicopter crucial for Gaganyaan missions parachute based deceleration system
GS-3 science and technology
- ISRO successfully conducted the first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-1) for the Gaganyaan mission.
- A dummy crew capsule weighing around five tonnes was dropped from a Chinook helicopter.
- The test aimed to validate the reliability of the parachute system for the Gaganyaan crew module.
- Multiple national agencies including the Air Force, DRDO, Navy, and Coast Guard collaborated in the test.
Gaganyaan Mission – Overview
- Launched by: ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).
- Announced: 2018 by PM Narendra Modi (Independence Day speech).
- Objective: To demonstrate India’s human spaceflight capability by sending a crew of 2–3 astronauts into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (400 km altitude) for 3 days and bringing them back safely.
- Significance: India will become the 4th nation (after USA, Russia, China) to independently send humans to space.
⚙️ Key Components
- Crew Module (CM)
- Habitable space for astronauts.
- Equipped with life-support, safety, and avionics.
- Service Module (SM)
- Provides support (propulsion, power, thermal regulation, etc.).
- Launch Vehicle
- Human-Rated LVM3 (HLVM3) – modified version of GSLV Mk-III.
- Training & Crew
- Four IAF pilots shortlisted as astronaut-designates.
- Training began in Russia (2019), now continued at ISRO’s Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru
NEWS:DRDOs IADWS successfully tests multi layered air defence system destroying UAVs and drones with QRSAM VSHORADS and laser weapons
GS-3 internal security
- DRDO successfully conducted maiden flight tests of Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off the coast of Odisha on Saturday around 12.30 p.m.
- The IADWS is a multi-layered air defence system comprising indigenous Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM), Advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missiles, and a high-power laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW).
- Three different targets, including two high-speed fixed wing UAVs and a multi-copter drone, were simultaneously engaged and destroyed.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO, the armed forces, and industry for successful development of the IADWS.
Defence Research and Development Organisation
Founded: 1958 (by merging Technical Development Establishments of the Army and the Defence Science Organisation).
Headquarters: New Delhi.
Parent Ministry: Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
Motto: “Strength’s Origin is in Science.”
Current Chairman (2025): Dr. Samir V. Kamat (since 2022).
MAINS MOCK QUESTION
The Census is not merely a statistical exercise but a mirror of India’s socio-economic realities.” Discuss the significance of the 2011 Census in understanding India’s demographic challenges and opportunities. In light of this, examine the implications of the delay in conducting the 2021 Census.
