Census 2027 drops separate ‘beggars and vagrants’ category, adds natural calamities as migration reason NEW DELHI: In a departure from previous exercises, Census 2027 will not record data on begging separately, with the questionnaire having omitted the category ‘beggars and vagrants etc’ from the list of ‘non-economic activity’. This, as per sources, is due to the very less return in this category in the last census; just around 3.8 lakh non-workers and marginal workers declared themselves as ‘beggars and vagrants’ in Census 2011.Another key change in is the inclusion of ‘natural calamities’ as a ‘reason for migration’, in addition to work, business, education, marriage, moved after birth, moved with household and ‘any other’.While the 2011 census and earlier had listed ‘beggars and vagrants etc’ as marginal and non-workers engaged in ‘non-economic activity’ – in addition to students, household duties, dependents, pensioners, rentiers and others – they will now be counted among ‘others’; as a result, the number of beggars in the country or their classification by age, religion, state/UT, educational status etc will no longer figure in census tables.Sources said the count of ‘beggars and vagrants’ returned by previous census exercises was not considered reliable, as many respondents in this category were reluctant to return themselves as such due to associated social stigma. “Census rules require the enumerator to record the occupation/non-economic activity as declared by the respondent,” an officer said. The count of non-worker beggars/vagrants was thus recorded at around 3.8 lakh in Census 2011, 6.3 lakh in Census 2001 and around 5.4 lakh in Census 1991.As for the new census fields ‘father’s particulars’ and ‘mother’s particulars’ – which will capture date and place of their birth as well as religion – sources said they need to be filled only where the mother and father are not listed in the same household or are no longer alive. The enumeration form already records the religion and date and place of birth of each member of the census household, including parents.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesSources told TOI that some of the trends that may emerge from recording religion of both parents include generation-wise prevalence of inter-faith marriages and history of religious conversion. Also, date and place of birth of parents will give the aggregate data on how many Indians fulfil citizenship criteria as per Citizenship Act.While the latest questionnaire seeks details like mobile number, Aadhaar, voter ID and Indian passport number, where “available”, technically requiring every individual having these documents to share their number, sources said the enumerators have been trained to only persuade the respondents to do so, by assuring them that all individual data will remain confidential. If the respondent is still reluctant, the enumerator shall leave these fields empty.”Even blank fields will enable the census team to cull out data on which of the documents – Aadhaar, voter ID and passport number – respondents are most reluctant to share due to privacy concerns,” an official told TOI.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosTMC’s Abhishek Banerjee Moves Supreme Court Over Delay In Disqualification Of 20 Rebel TMC MPsTrump Pushes $103,265 H-1B Fee; 71% Indian Professionals Brace For Major Immigration BlowJaishankar Meets Putin In Moscow, India-Russia Trade Soars As Both Sides Target $100 Billion By 2030Fresh Kashmiri Pandit Threat: Hit List Reveals Addresses, Phone Numbers, Vehicle Details OnlineDelhi-NCR Rain Fury: Gurugram Under Orange Alert, Work From Home Advisory Issued For August 25’Ram-Ram Inside, Fish Feast Outside’: Yogi Adityanath Slams Cong Over Ayodhya Event; Ajay Rai ReactsDisplaced By Ken-Betwa Project, Tribals Now Struggle For Basic Amenities | ExclusiveIn Leaked Audio, Lawrence Bishnoi’s Aide Goldy Brar Claims He Killed Hardeep Nijjar In Canada‘Watching Your Every Move’: Fresh Threat Letter Targets Kashmiri Pandits In J&KChennai Murder Mystery: Woman’s Remains Found on Tamil Nadu Express, Police Hunt Couple in Odisha123PhotostoriesSreeleela’s fish-cut saree just gave traditional draping a seriously savage upgrade10 beautiful baby girl names that capture a sense of wonderOptical Illusion personality test: What you spot first reveals the weak spot in your love lifePriyanka Chopra’s architectural black gown just proved that red-carpet glam needs a little more attitude10 of the world’s most colourful birds to see in the wildBlood sugar running high despite cutting back on sweets? 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NEW DELHI: In a departure from previous exercises, Census 2027 will not record data on begging separately, with the questionnaire having omitted the category ‘beggars and vagrants etc’ from the list of ‘non-economic activity’. This, as per sources, is due to the very less return in this category in the last census; just around 3.8 lakh non-workers and marginal workers declared themselves as ‘beggars and vagrants’ in Census 2011.Another key change in is the inclusion of ‘natural calamities’ as a ‘reason for migration’, in addition to work, business, education, marriage, moved after birth, moved with household and ‘any other’.While the 2011 census and earlier had listed ‘beggars and vagrants etc’ as marginal and non-workers engaged in ‘non-economic activity’ – in addition to students, household duties, dependents, pensioners, rentiers and others – they will now be counted among ‘others’; as a result, the number of beggars in the country or their classification by age, religion, state/UT, educational status etc will no longer figure in census tables.Sources said the count of ‘beggars and vagrants’ returned by previous census exercises was not considered reliable, as many respondents in this category were reluctant to return themselves as such due to associated social stigma. “Census rules require the enumerator to record the occupation/non-economic activity as declared by the respondent,” an officer said. The count of non-worker beggars/vagrants was thus recorded at around 3.8 lakh in Census 2011, 6.3 lakh in Census 2001 and around 5.4 lakh in Census 1991.As for the new census fields ‘father’s particulars’ and ‘mother’s particulars’ – which will capture date and place of their birth as well as religion – sources said they need to be filled only where the mother and father are not listed in the same household or are no longer alive. The enumeration form already records the religion and date and place of birth of each member of the census household, including parents.
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Sources told TOI that some of the trends that may emerge from recording religion of both parents include generation-wise prevalence of inter-faith marriages and history of religious conversion. Also, date and place of birth of parents will give the aggregate data on how many Indians fulfil citizenship criteria as per Citizenship Act.While the latest questionnaire seeks details like mobile number, Aadhaar, voter ID and Indian passport number, where “available”, technically requiring every individual having these documents to share their number, sources said the enumerators have been trained to only persuade the respondents to do so, by assuring them that all individual data will remain confidential. If the respondent is still reluctant, the enumerator shall leave these fields empty.“Even blank fields will enable the census team to cull out data on which of the documents – Aadhaar, voter ID and passport number – respondents are most reluctant to share due to privacy concerns,” an official told TOI.
