Census as a mirror of past and present

Source– The post is based on the article “Census as a mirror of past and present” published in The Hindu on 15th December 2022.

Syllabus: GS1- Modern Indian history and Population and associated issues

Relevance– Census and its correlation with standards of living.

News– The article explains the impact of British policy on population related indicators. It also explains the dimensions of living standard shown by census after 1947.

A recent study of India’s experience under colonial rule concludes that between 1880 and 1920 approximately 100 million Indians died due to British policy in India. It is based on the census of India.

The mortality rate in British India rose steadily after 1881. It recorded an increase of close to 20% by 1921. This suggests that the living conditions worsened during this period. The mortality rate dipped in 1931, which was the last census conducted in British India.

What are the arguments by some school of thoughts that justifies colonial rule ?

British arguments for the empire include English forms of land tenure, the English language, banking, the common law, the limited state, representative assemblies, and the idea of liberty.

What are the arguments by Indian economic historians against colonial rule?

Famines started almost at the onset of rule by the East India Company in Bengal. The de-industrialisation happened in India in the nineteenth century. It led to the drain of wealth. Food security worsened as India’s peasants were forced to grow commercial crops for export so that Britain could balance its trade.

What is revealed by the population of India after 1947?

Population recorded after 1947 points to the fact that lives of Indians improved since the end of colonial rule in dimensions other than merely income.

It points to a worsening gender inequality in India. A simple indicator of this would be the ratio of females to males in the population. This ratio has steadily declined after 1947. After declining for four decades from 1951, it started inching up in 1991. But in 2011, it was still lower than what it was in 1951.

Even though life expectancy increased soon after Independence, in the early years at least it increased faster for men than it did for women.

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