The All India Census was 1. first attempted in 1872 2. regularly undertaken since 1881 3. always undertaken as a five-year exercise Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The history of the All India Census reveals that the first attempt at a nationwide enumeration occurred in 1872 under Viceroy Lord Mayo [4]. However, this initial effort was not synchronous or comprehensive across all regions. The first complete and synchronous census was conducted in 1881 under W.C. Plowden [1]. Since 1881, the census has been regularly undertaken as a decennial exercise, meaning it occurs every ten years, rather than every five years [5]. While some specific surveys like the Agriculture Census are conducted quinquennially (every five years), the general population census has maintained a ten-year cycle for over a century [4]. Therefore, statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is incorrect as the exercise is decennial, not quinquennial.

Sources

1. [1] CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 6: Population > Census > p. 48
2. [2] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition > POPULATION > p. 1
3. [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census_of_India
4. [5] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 13: Cultural Setting > Table 13.14 > p. 89
5. [3] Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 10: Agriculture - Part I > Agriculture Census > p. 301