Explanation
- A
In the year 1850
Option (a) claims the first census work in India was done in 1850. This is factually incorrect as no nationwide census operations were initiated during this specific year.
- B
In the year 1861
Option (b) claims the census work began in 1861. While demographic data collection was being discussed around this period, systematic operations had not yet commenced.
- C
In the year 1871
Option (c) claims the Census work was done for the first time in India in the year 1871. This is the official key because the process of conducting the census in a non-synchronous manner began across different parts of the country starting around 1871–72 under Lord Mayo, marking the formal inception of census enumeration in British India.
- D
In the year 1881
Option (d) claims the census work was done in 1881. Although 1881 marks the first complete and synchronous census conducted across the entire country under Lord Ripon, it is not the year when the very first census work was initiated.
Summary. Official key is (c) because the first non-synchronous census in India was conducted beginning in 1871. Students often confuse this initial partial enumeration with the first complete synchronous census held in 1881. Option (a) and option (b) propose earlier erroneous dates that lack historical backing for census operations. Option (d) represents the milestone of the first synchronous census rather than the absolute beginning of census work. Thus, option (c) correctly identifies the inception year.