What happened: NPRD flags gaps in Census 2027 disability categories

Disability rights organisations and activists raised concerns about the proposed disability classification for Census 2027. The National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) argued that a nine-category framework would not adequately capture several disabilities recognised under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016.

NPRD said the nine categories largely replicate the disability grouping approach used in the 2011 Census, with “mental retardation” renamed as “intellectual disability”.

NPRD argued that the nine-category framework adds only three additional categories for Census 2027: acid attack, chronic neurological disease, and blood disorder.

NPRD and activists warned that broad enumerator categories could result in undercounting of specific disability groups recognised under the RPwD Act, 2016. Activists cited examples of conditions they fear could be left under-enumerated: cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and multiple sclerosis.

NPRD’s concern is that inadequate representation of disability sub-groups can reduce the quality of disability data and contribute to under-enumeration, even when the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment gives an assurance that data on 21 disabilities would be collected.

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