Disability rights group demands inclusion of all 21 conditions in 2027 census
Disability rights activists in Tamil Nadu are protesting the 2027 Census framework for excluding 12 of the 21 legally recognized disability categories. They argue that the proposed nine-category list is inadequate and ignores the rights mandated by the RPwD Act of 2016.
Why it matters
Accurate census data is essential for the equitable distribution of government resources and the protection of marginalized groups.
Members of the Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) staged a demonstration condemning both the Union and State governments for allegedly marginalising persons with disabilities in the upcoming census.
As the protest focused on the 2027 Census questionnaire, district secretary A. Balamurugan said it undermined the legal protections and recognition mandated by the disability laws.
“While the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act) legally recognises 21 distinct categories of “specified disabilities,” the proposed framework for the 2027 Census reduces these to a compressed list of just nine classifications,” he alleged.
These included visual, hearing, and speech impairments, locomotor and intellectual disabilities, mental illness, acid attack survivorship, chronic neurological conditions, and a broad blood disorder category.
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