UPSC CORE · NCERT GEOGRAPHY · CENSUS 2011 RELIGION DATA — HINDU, MUSLIM, CHRISTIAN, SIKH, BUDDHIST, JAIN, OTHER
Major Religions of India 🛕
NCERT-aligned UPSC Core Geography topic from NCERT Class 11/12 + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar). Every item is anchored to a real location on India's map — built for boards (CBSE, ICSE, state) and UPSC aspirants.
📚 NCERT TEXTBOOK ALIGNMENT
Class UPSC Geography — NCERT Class 11/12 + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar) — Chapter: Census 2011 religion data — Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Other.
7LOCATIONS
35QUESTIONS
UPSC CORENCERT LEVEL
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Key locations covered (7)
- Hindus — 79.8% (Census 2011) — Majority in 28 states/UTs · ~966 million
- Muslims — 14.2% (Census 2011) — Majority in J&K UT, Lakshadweep · ~172 million
- Christians — 2.3% (Census 2011) — Majority in Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya · ~28 million
- Sikhs — 1.7% (Census 2011) — Majority in Punjab · ~21 million
- Buddhists — 0.7% (Census 2011) — Concentrated in Maharashtra · ~8.4 million
- Jains — 0.4% (Census 2011) — Concentrated in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, MP · ~4.5 million
- Other Religions — 0.9% (Census 2011) — Includes tribal religions (Sarna, Donyi-Polo), Zoroastrians, Bahais · ~7.9 million
Sample questions (12 of 35)
What share of India's population is Hindu per Census 2011?
79.80% — about 966 million.
In which states are Hindus NOT in majority?
Six states/UTs — J&K (Muslim majority), Punjab (Sikh), Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland (all Christian majority), and Lakshadweep (Muslim).
Which state has the highest Hindu percentage?
Himachal Pradesh — about 95.2% (highest in India).
Did the Hindu share grow or fall between Census 2001 and 2011?
Fell marginally — from 80.5% (2001) to 79.8% (2011).
Under which Article are Hindu religious institutions covered?
Articles 25-28 (freedom of religion) and Article 26 (manage religious affairs); 'Hindus' includes Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists for personal-law purposes per Article 25 Explanation II.
What share of India's population is Muslim per Census 2011?
14.23% — about 172 million.
Which state/UT has the highest Muslim share?
Lakshadweep UT (96.6%); among states, J&K (then state, 68.3%) was the only Muslim-majority state.
Which Indian state has the largest Muslim population in absolute numbers?
Uttar Pradesh — about 38.5 million Muslims (largest single bloc).
India has the world's how-many-th-largest Muslim population?
Second largest (after Indonesia; or third if Pakistan counted) — India alone has more Muslims than any Arab country.
Which Article protects minority educational rights?
Article 30 — right of religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.
What share of India's population is Christian per Census 2011?
2.30% — about 28 million.
Which three states have a Christian majority?
Nagaland (87.9%), Mizoram (87.2%), Meghalaya (74.6%).
All 35 questions are available in the interactive map quiz.
About this topic
This topic is part of the NCERT UPSC Core Geography syllabus, specifically the textbook NCERT Class 11/12 + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar), drawn from the chapter Census 2011 religion data — Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Other. Content is cross-referenced against the latest NCERT textbook editions + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar, Satish Chandra for history; G.C. Leong, Savindra Singh for geography; the UPSC Civil Services prelims + mains syllabus).
Use the interactive India map to learn major religions of india the way memory works best — by spatial location. Each pin opens a flashcard. Mark "Knew it" or "Didn't know" to track your mastery over time.
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