Fertility Questions UPSC relevant
Census fertility questions are asked of ever-married women (currently married, widowed, divorced or separated) and traditionally cover: number of children ever born (by sex), number of children surviving, and children born alive during the last one year.
From these, demographers derive fertility and child-mortality estimates for small areas — the only source of such estimates below the state level. The official Census 2027 FAQ lists 'fertility details (for married women)' among the Phase 2 topics, and fertility items are part of the 40-question Household Schedule notified on August 14, 2026. The 2027 returns will show how far India's fertility decline (already below replacement in national surveys) extends district by district, informing projections used for delimitation, schools and health infrastructure.