Write in descending order the following States on the basis of their population as per Census, 2011 :
1. Bihar
2. Andhra Pradesh
3. Uttar Pradesh
4. West Bengal
Choose the correct answer with the help

Question

Write in descending order the following States on the basis of their population as per Census, 2011 :
1. Bihar
2. Andhra Pradesh
3. Uttar Pradesh
4. West Bengal
Choose the correct answer with the help of the following codes :

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — D, 3, 1, 4, 2. On the Census 2011 counts the four states fall in this order: Uttar Pradesh (3) 19,98,12,341 — the most populous state in India; Bihar (1) 10,40,99,452 — third in the country after Maharashtra; West Bengal (4) 9,12,76,115 — fourth; and Andhra Pradesh (2) 8,45,80,777 as enumerated in 2011, i.e. before the 2014 bifurcation. Descending order is therefore Uttar Pradesh → Bihar → West Bengal → Andhra Pradesh = 3, 1, 4, 2.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) The most tempting error — it starts correctly with Uttar Pradesh but then places West Bengal (9.13 crore) above Bihar (10.41 crore). Bihar overtook West Bengal to become India's third most populous state; West Bengal is fourth.  (b) Puts Bihar ahead of Uttar Pradesh, which is impossible — UP's 19.98 crore is nearly double Bihar's 10.41 crore. It also places Andhra Pradesh above West Bengal.  (c) Gets the last two right but again opens with Bihar instead of Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in the country by population.

Concept: Census 2011 was the 15th census of India and the seventh since Independence, counting a population of about 121 crore. The five most populous states were Uttar Pradesh (19.98 crore), Maharashtra (11.24 crore), Bihar (10.41 crore), West Bengal (9.13 crore) and Madhya Pradesh (7.26 crore). Uttar Pradesh alone accounted for roughly one-sixth of the country's people, which is why it sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha. Bihar recorded the highest population density of any state, about 1,106 persons per sq km.

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