Some thrilling moments come while flipping through the pages of the 1911 Census Report of erstwhile Central Province and Berar. A peep into journey of development of Madhya Pradesh is exciting . The 1911 Census Report was prepared by ICS J.C. Martin, who was then Superintendent of Census Operations for the Central Provinces and Berar. During the decade from 1901 to 1910, Berar Province was included into the Central Provinces. This Census, which began on March 10, 1911, involved 91,770 enumerators, 8,422 supervisors, and 675 chief superintendents, totaling over 100,000 officials. The area covered was 131,000 square miles, with a population of 16 million, representing 7.3% of British India’s total area.
The literacy-related eighth chapter of the 1911 Census Report reveals some interesting data. It documented the number and circulation of newspapers, totaling 27 publications in Hindi, English, Marathi, and Gujarati, with a circulation of 10,627. A total of 640 books in various languages were published. There were 444 secondary schools with 53,308 students and 3,865 primary schools with 2,77,620 students. Only one in every 30 persons was literate. Literacy in English was measured seperately as 55 men and five women per 10,000 were English Literate. English speaking population was predominantly in Nagpur, Jabalpur, Sagar, and Amravati. The reason being interaction of common citizens with English officials posted there.
The Birth of M P
The development of this vast region continued until Independence. Afterwards, demands for separate states an Identity of language, culture, and administrative considerations arose, emphasizing regional balance while maintaining national unity. As a result, the States Reorganization Commission was constituted on December 29, 1953, chaired by Justice Syed Faizal Ali, with members including HridyaNathKunjooru and KovalamMadhavPanikkar. The Commission submitted its recommendations on September 30, 1955, considering factors like the impact of changes, national unity and security, language and culture, availability of financial resources, national development plans and the size of States to be formed. Implementing these recommendations required Constitutional Amendment. Resultantly, the Constitution (Ninth Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 18, 1956, which received presidential assent in October. Thus, on November 1, 1956, Madhya Pradesh was born.
With challenging population growth , Madhya Pradesh kept pace with global development parameters. In 2000, the State of Chhattisgarh was formed, leading to the division of human resources, public assets and natural resources. However, the pace of development remained unchecked. Beyond traditional metrics, Madhya Pradesh has made significant strides in new sectors like information technology and is now advancing with artificial intelligence practicing administrative innovations that make citizens’ lives easier.
An Exciting Journey
The transformative journey from 1956 to the present is evident of fast advancing Madhya Pradesh. Infrastructure in urban and rural areas has evolved, with the information revolution impacting all aspects of life. Despite challenges like population growth and climate change, obstacles to development are being cleaned up.
The 1961 Census recorded a population of 323.7 lakh. Some basic statistics further highlight Madhya Pradesh's development journey: the GDP, which was Rs 71,594 crores in 2003, has gone up manyfold to Rs 13,63,327 crores today, with per capita income rising from just Rs 261 in 1956 to Rs 1,42,565 now.
Transformation of Agricultural Sector has been attributed to increased irrigation facilities and constant power supply. The Policies friendly to farmers have further strengthened the agrarian economy leading to increased agricultural exports, particularly in wheat, rice, and pulses.
