Disability rights activists are raising alarms over the Census 2027 proposal to list only nine disability categories instead of the 21 recognized under the RPwD Act.
- Proposed Census 2027 forms include only 9 disability categories.
- Activists demand all 21 categories as per the RPwD Act, 2016.
- Inaccurate data could lead to poor policy-making and budget shortages.
New Delhi: A significant controversy has erupted regarding the upcoming Census 2027. Disability rights organizations have expressed deep concern that the proposed enumeration forms only include nine disability categories, a sharp departure from the 21 disabilities officially recognized under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016.
The National Platform for the Rights of Disabled (NPRD), backed by over 400 signatories, issued a statement warning that this reduction will render massive groups of persons with disabilities 'invisible' in official statistics. This lack of granular data is expected to severely impact future policy-making, program design, and critical budgetary allocations.
Why This Matters
BozokMedia analysis shows that data integrity is the backbone of social welfare. When specific conditions like Thalassemia or Sickle Cell Anaemia are lumped into a broad 'blood disorder' category, the government loses the ability to track the specific needs of these populations, leading to ineffective targeted interventions.
The prescription of broad categories without specific training for enumerators creates a double jeopardy for PwDs, as their true conditions may never be accurately recorded.
The current proposal includes categories such as visual, hearing, speech, mobility, intellectual disabilities, mental illness, acid attack, chronic neurological disease, and blood disorders. However, critics point out that conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder, dwarfism, and specific learning disabilities are not distinctly captured.
Historical Background
In the 2011 Census, only six categories were utilized, accounting for approximately 2.68 crore persons with disabilities, or 2.21% of India's population. The transition from the 1995 PWD Act to the 2016 RPwD Act was meant to modernize and expand these classifications, reflecting a more dynamic understanding of disability.
| Feature | 2011 Census | Proposed 2027 Census |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Categories | 6 | 9 |
| Legal Framework | PWD Act 1995 | RPwD Act 2016 |
| Scope | Basic Physical/Sensory | Expanded (includes Acid Attack, etc.) |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why are activists protesting the 9 categories?
They argue that the 9 categories are too broad and fail to capture the nuances of the 21 disabilities recognized by law.
2. What is the government's defense?
The Office of the Registrar General stated that the nine categories are 'broader' and allow for recording up to three multiple disabilities.
