ISS 2016 Statistics Paper-2 Solution: Question 79 (Population and Economic Census Agencies)

Continuing our question-by-question walk through the ISS Statistics Paper-2 archive, today we pick up right where the series left off and tackle the very next item on the 2016 paper. If you have been following along, you already know the drill: restate the question exactly as it appeared, work out the logic from scratch, and check it against the official key before moving on.

Quick Summary

• Topic: Official Statistics – nodal agencies responsible for Population Census and Economic Census in India

• Question Reference: ISS 2016, Statistics Paper-2, Question 79

• Correct Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

The Question

79. Which of the following is/are correctly matched?

1. Population Census – Office of Registrar General and Census Commissioner

2. Economic Census – Central Statistics Office

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

• (a) 1 only

• (b) 2 only

• (c) Both 1 and 2

• (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Step 1: Understand What a "Matching" Item Is Really Asking

This question does not ask you to calculate anything. It gives you two separate statements, each pairing a statistical exercise (a "census") with the government body that actually carries it out. Your job is to check each pairing independently and only then combine your verdicts using the code given in the options. A very common mistake students make with matching-type items is to judge the whole question in one glance instead of evaluating statement 1 and statement 2 on their own merits first. Treat it exactly like two true/false questions stacked together.

Step 2: Verify Statement 1 – Population Census

In India, the decennial Population Census is conducted under the Census Act, 1948, by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (ORGI), which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs. This office is responsible for planning, house-listing, enumeration, and releasing the final population figures every ten years (the most recent full exercise being 2011, with the next one delayed beyond its usual 2021 schedule). So Statement 1, as written, matches the Population Census correctly with its true custodian.

Verdict on Statement 1:Correct.

Step 3: Verify Statement 2 – Economic Census

The Economic Census is a completely different exercise from the Population Census. It counts all economic establishments in the country (not individuals), covering details like type of activity, ownership, and number of persons employed. This exercise has historically been conducted by the Central Statistics Office (CSO)in collaboration with State and Union Territory Directorates of Economics and Statistics, with field work typically executed through local bodies and enumerators appointed at the state level. Since the CSO is the body that plans and coordinates the Economic Census at the national level, this pairing is also accurate.

Verdict on Statement 2:Correct.

Pro Tip: The trap in this particular question isn't in either statement alone — it's in resisting the urge to assume only one answer "sounds official enough" to be true. Many aspirants wrongly believe only one agency can be associated with "census work" and mark either (a) or (b) out of habit. The way this topic is usually taught is to build a small mental table of exam-relevant agencies (ORGI for Population Census, CSO for Economic Census and National Accounts, NSSO for sample surveys) rather than memorising facts as isolated trivia — students who drill this kind of agency-to-function mapping until it becomes automatic rarely lose marks on "match the following" items in the Official Statistics section.

Step 4: Combine the Verdicts Using the Code

Since both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct, the only option that captures "both statements true" is option (c), "Both 1 and 2". Options (a) and (b) each discard one correct statement, and option (d) would only be right if both statements were wrong, which is not the case here.

Step 5: Final Answer and Cross-Check

Final Answer:(c) Both 1 and 2

This matches the official ISS 2016 Statistics Paper-2 answer key exactly, which lists option C against item 79 (Series A test booklet). No discrepancy was found between our derivation and the official key for this question.

Why This Question Matters

Official Statistics is a scoring-friendly section of the ISS syllabus precisely because its questions are fact-based rather than computational, but that also means a single confused agency name can cost you a mark that required no calculation at all. Questions like this one test whether you can tell apart India's statistical ecosystem — ORGI for population counts, CSO/MoSPI for economic and national accounts data, and NSSO for large-scale sample surveys — which recurs across several other items in this very paper, including the census-related questions right around it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Population Census the same body that conducts the Economic Census?

No. The Population Census is conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs, while the Economic Census is coordinated by the Central Statistics Office along with state-level statistical directorates. They are distinct exercises covering people and establishments respectively.

What exactly does the Economic Census measure?

It measures all economic establishments operating in the country at a given point in time, recording details such as the nature of activity, type of ownership, source of finance, and number of workers employed. It does not count individuals or households the way the Population Census does.

Why is this kind of "match the following" format common in ISS Paper-2?

The Official Statistics portion of the syllabus is heavily definitional and institutional, so examiners frequently test whether candidates know which government body is responsible for which statistical activity. Matching-type and assertion-reason formats let the examiner combine two or more such facts into a single item.

How should I avoid mixing up ORGI, CSO, and NSSO in the exam?

Build a short personal reference linking each agency to its core function — ORGI with the decennial Population Census, CSO with national accounts and the Economic Census, and NSSO with periodic sample surveys like consumption expenditure and employment-unemployment surveys. Revising this mapping a few times tends to fix it firmly enough that exam-day recall becomes quick rather than a guess.

Was there any ambiguity in this question's official answer?

No. The answer key for all four test booklet series (A, B, C, D) consistently confirms the option corresponding to "Both 1 and 2" for this item, and our independent verification of both statements agrees with that result.

Does this question carry negative marking like the rest of Paper-2?

Yes. ISS Paper-2 follows the standard penalty scheme where one-third of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer, so when you are unsure between two closely related agencies, it is safer to leave the item unattempted than to guess at random.

That wraps up Question 79 of the ISS 2016 Statistics Paper-2 series. If anything here felt unclear or you spotted a point worth discussing further, drop a comment below, and feel free to share this with a fellow ISS aspirant who might be revising the same Official Statistics topics.