According to the 2001 Census, the decadal growth rate of the population of India during 1991–2001 was closest to which of the following values?

Introduction / Context:
Decadal growth rate of population is an important demographic indicator that shows how much the population has increased over a ten year period. The Census of India publishes this rate for each decade. Questions about the growth rate during specific decades are common in competitive exams. This question focuses on the decadal growth rate for the period 1991 to 2001.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The decade under consideration is 1991 to 2001.
• The options for decadal growth rate are 13 percent, 17 percent, 21 percent, and 25 percent.
• We are looking for an approximate value that matches Census 2001 data.
• We assume that minor rounding is acceptable in the answer.

Concept / Approach:
The decadal growth rate is calculated as the percentage increase in population over a ten year period. According to Census 2001, the population of India increased by a little more than 21 percent between 1991 and 2001. The exact value is slightly above 21 percent, but exam questions usually round this to 21 percent. Among the options presented, 21 percent is the closest match to the official decadal growth rate.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall from demographic data that the population of India in 1991 and 2001 and the official decadal growth rate were published together.Step 2: The decadal growth rate for 1991 to 2001 is slightly above 21 percent.Step 3: Compare this with the given options: 13, 17, 21, and 25 percent.Step 4: Values like 13 and 17 percent are too low compared with the known rate, while 25 percent is somewhat too high.Step 5: The option that closely matches is 21 percent, which is widely used in exam oriented summaries.Step 6: Therefore, 21 percent is the correct approximate decadal growth rate for 1991 to 2001.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard tables in exam guides on Indian demography show decadal growth rates for each census decade. For the decade 1991 to 2001, the value listed is about 21 percent. These tables highlight a modest reduction from earlier decades while still indicating substantial growth. No reference material supports 13, 17, or 25 percent as the official decadal growth rate for this period, which reinforces the correctness of 21 percent.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
13 percent: This is far below the recorded decadal increase and does not match census data.

17 percent: This underestimates the actual growth, which remained above 20 percent during this decade.

25 percent: This overestimates the growth; it is higher than the official value for 1991 to 2001.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students may confuse decadal growth rates from different census decades, since the rate has been gradually declining over time. Others might misremember the figures due to mixing up state level and national level data. A helpful strategy is to remember that India saw decadal growth slightly above 20 percent around 1991 to 2001, which fits naturally with the 21 percent option.

Final Answer:
The decadal growth rate of India's population during 1991 to 2001 was close to 21 percent.