Guwahati: India’s upcoming Census 2027 will introduce several changes to the information collected from households, including removing a separate category for beggars and vagrants.
The new census questionnaire has omitted “beggars and vagrants etc.” from the list of non-economic activities. People identifying themselves under this category will instead be included under a broader “others” classification.
The change follows concerns over the reliability and limited returns of the category in previous censuses. Around 3.8 lakh non-workers and marginal workers identified themselves as beggars and vagrants in the 2011 Census, compared with around 6.3 lakh in 2001 and 5.4 lakh in 1991.
Officials have also pointed to the social stigma associated with begging as a factor that may have discouraged people from identifying themselves under the category. Under census rules, enumerators record occupations or non-economic activities based on what respondents declare.
Another notable change in Census 2027 will be the inclusion of natural calamities as a reason for migration. The revised questionnaire will retain existing reasons such as employment, business, education, marriage, movement after birth and relocation with family, while adding natural calamities and an “other” category.
The census form will also seek details about both parents, including their date and place of birth and religion, in specified circumstances. Sources said these details will be required when parents are not members of the same household or are no longer alive.
The new information could provide broader demographic insights, including patterns of interfaith marriages and religious conversion across generations, as well as information relevant to citizenship-related assessments.
Census 2027 will also seek document details such as mobile numbers, Aadhaar, voter ID and Indian passport numbers where available. However, enumerators have reportedly been instructed to encourage respondents to provide the information rather than compel them to do so. Unwilling respondents can leave the fields blank.
Officials said even blank responses could help identify which identity documents people are most reluctant to share, potentially providing insights into privacy concerns surrounding the collection of personal information.