According to the sequence of national population counts, the 2011 Census of India could be considered which numbered census of the country?

Introduction / Context:
The Census of India is conducted every ten years and provides a complete count of the country population along with many social and economic details. General knowledge questions often ask which number a particular census represents in the historical sequence. The 2011 exercise is especially important because it is the most recent completed census. This question tests awareness of how the 2011 Census fits into the long series of national population counts that began in the nineteenth century.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Census in India is held every ten years as a nationwide exercise.
• Regular modern censuses started in the late nineteenth century and continued at each decennial interval.
• The question is about the ordinal number of the 2011 Census in that national sequence.
• The options suggest it might be the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, or 12th census.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this question correctly, we need to recall that the Government of India officially describes the Census 2011 as the fifteenth Census in the unbroken series of modern national censuses. Earlier counts in the nineteenth century included the first complete census, followed by repeated exercises every ten years. When we continue this counting up to the year 2011, the result is that Census 2011 is treated as the fifteenth national census. Therefore, the correct choice among the options is the fifteenth census.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the modern, regular decennial censuses of India began in the late nineteenth century and have been conducted every ten years.Step 2: Understand that each new census increases the count by one, so that by the time of 2011 a long series has been completed.Step 3: Remember from standard general knowledge references that Census 2011 is described as the fifteenth Census of India in this series.Step 4: Match this remembered description with the options given in the question.Step 5: Select the option that states 15th census as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
General studies books used for civil services, banking, and staff selection examinations clearly note that Census 2011 is the fifteenth National Census of India and the seventh census after independence. Government publicity material for Census 2011 also emphasised this numbering. These consistent references provide a strong cross check that the correct option is fifteenth census rather than any other number in the list.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The options 12th census, 13th census, 14th census, and 16th census do not match the officially accepted counting of national censuses. They are included only to test whether the learner knows the exact ordinal number. Choosing 13th or 14th would underestimate how many censuses have been conducted, while 16th would overstate the count. Since official documentation identifies Census 2011 as the fifteenth census, all these alternatives are incorrect.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates know that censuses have been held regularly but do not keep track of the exact sequence and therefore guess a nearby number. Under exam pressure it is easy to confuse fifteenth with fourteenth or thirteenth. To avoid this, it helps to connect the 2011 Census with a simple memory aid, such as noting that it is the fifteenth national census and the seventh in independent India. This reinforces the correct figure in memory.

Final Answer:
The 2011 Census of India is considered the 15th census in the national series of population counts.