Parliamentary panel seeks to accurately enumerate all disabled people in census

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has stressed the need for a robust and reliable database of persons with disabilities (PwD) in line with the 2016 law recognizing 21 categories of persons with disabilities and recommended the government to emphasize to the Registrar General of India (RGI) the need to ensure accurate and comprehensive enumeration of all categories of persons with disabilities, especially those who may not be visible or have physical symptoms, in the 2027 census.The current estimate of people with disabilities in the country, based on the 2011 census, was Rs 26.8 crore, the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment said in a report tabled in Parliament in March. Although the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995 was in force at that time, it only mentioned seven types of disabilities.The committee, chaired by BJP Lok Sabha MP PC Mohan, further took note of the submission made by representatives of the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) that the department has requested the RGI to take into account all 21 categories of persons with disabilities recognized under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD) during the census 2027, even though around 135 crore Unique Disability Identification (UDID) cards have been issued so far. DEPwD officials also told the committee they have asked RGI to consult with the department on the issue so the data in the census is reliable.In the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment’s (DEPwD) “Grant Needs 2026-27” report, the committee highlighted that “a robust and reliable database, complemented by the UDID framework, will greatly assist in evidence-based policy development and more effective development of welfare programs for persons with disabilities.”The recommendations will be carried out in two phases as the 2027 Census is due to be launched on April 1, with the House List Operation (HLO) taking place from April 1 to September 30 this year. This will be followed by a census in February 2027, which will also cover people with disabilities. The disability census questionnaire is expected to be completed by the end of the first phase of the census in September.