For the first time, the upcoming Census 2027 will not record the number of beggars and vagrants as a separate category, according to sources familiar with the revised questionnaire.
The category ‘beggars and vagrants’, etc., which was earlier listed under ‘non-economic activity’, has been removed from the census form. The change is reportedly based on the low number of people who identified themselves under this category in previous censuses.
In Census 2011, around 3.8 lakh non-workers and marginal workers were recorded as beggars or vagrants. The corresponding figures were about 6.3 lakh in 2001 and 5.4 lakh in 1991. Under the new system, such respondents will be included under the broader “others” category. Consequently, Census 2027 will not provide separate data on beggars by age, religion, state or Union Territory, educational status and other demographic indicators.
Officials said previous figures were not considered entirely reliable because social stigma often discouraged respondents from identifying themselves as beggars or vagrants. Under census rules, enumerators are required to record a person’s occupation or non-economic activity based on what the respondent declares.
Another significant change in Census 2027 is the addition of “natural calamities” as a reason for migration. The existing options include work, business, education, marriage, moving after birth, moving with the household and other reasons.
The new census questionnaire also seeks details about the respondents’ parents, including their date and place of birth and religion. However, sources said these details will generally be required only when the parents are not members of the same household or are deceased. The census form already collects religion and date and place of birth for every member of a household.
Officials believe the additional parental information could provide insights into trends such as interfaith marriages across generations and instances of religious conversion. Details regarding parents’ birthplaces may also help generate aggregate information relevant to citizenship criteria under the Citizenship Act.
The latest questionnaire also seeks details such as mobile numbers, Aadhaar numbers, voter ID and Indian passport numbers, wherever available. However, enumerators have reportedly been instructed to persuade respondents to provide these details while assuring them that individual information will remain confidential. If a respondent declines, the relevant fields will be left blank.
Officials said even these blank fields could help the census authorities assess which identification documents people are most reluctant to share, particularly because of privacy concerns.
