BPL Census 2002

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILLING UP THE SCHEDULE FOR BPL CENSUS, 2002

The investigator should visit each and every household in the village and canvas the Schedule in full  in respect of each household. A household is defined as a group of persons who commonly reside together and would take their meals from a common kitchen, unless the exigencies of work prevented any o them form doing so. The household may comprise of persons related by blood or of unrelated persons or combination of both.  

The schedule is to be filled up in the following manner.  

Name of the Head of Household: The name of the head of the household is to be given in Block letters.

House number and name, if any: In case houses in the village have been marked by Gram Panchayat, the House Number is to be given.

Name of the village: The name of the village may be given in Block letters.

Name of Gram Panchayat: The name of the Gram Panchayat may be given in Block letters.

Name of the Block: The name of the Block may be given in Block letters. If Block do not exist in a State, the name of corresponding unit like Mandal may be given.

Name of District: The name of the district may be given in Block letters.

Total Score: This is to be arrived at, after completing the enumeration, by assigning appropriate score (0,1,2,3,4) as given in the top of the Block B, ‘Identification and Sub-categorisation of Poor’ for each of the 13 items in that Block. Scores for each of the items is to be added up to arrive at the ‘Total Score’.

Sub-Category: The Sub-categories are ‘Very Poor’, ‘Poor’, ‘Not-So-Poor’ and ‘Non-Poor’. The Sub-Category of the household is to be decided on the basis of cut-off score to be specified by the State Government/ UT Administration after analyzing the total score of all the households.  

Block A.    Profile of Household

1. Educational Status: Name of all the members of the family are to be filled in chronological order according to their age.
   Age has to be given in completed years.
   Sex of the member is to be filled up in this column as M for Male and F for Female.
   Educational status (in column 6) is to be given in code as given in the Survey schedule.

2. Average Monthly Income of the Household: The Investigator is required to assess the average monthly income of the household in Rupees. This may be done on the basis of the statement of the respondent. Only one column, (which is the most appropriate), out of the five, is to be ticked.  

3. Type of operational holding of land: The operational holding of the household may be either owned by them, or on tenancy. It is also possible that a part of the operational holding is owned and part is land on tenancy. It is also possible that the household may not have any operational holding. The Investigator is required to tick only one column (which is the most appropriate), keeping these possibilities in view).  

4. Drinking water facilities: This item is to be canvassed for plain areas and hilly areas using separate Blocks. The Investigator has to tick the most appropriate column in the selected block (plain or hilly) indicating, the distance of source of drinking water available in case of plain areas and elevation of the source of drinking water in hilly areas. When the household is in plain areas, the portion of the Block relating to hilly areas in the schedule should be struck off. Similarly, when the schedule is canvassed in the hilly areas, the portion relating to plain areas should be struck off.  

5. Social Group of the household: The Investigator should ascertain the Social Group to which the household belongs, i.e., Schedule Tribe (ST), Schedule Caste (SC), Other Backward Class (OBC) or ‘Others’ and tick the relevant column.

B. Identification and Sub-Categorisation of the Poor.  

There are 13 indicators given in 13 different rows. Five or less situations have been defined for each of the indicators and have been described in the columns. Each indicator is to be scored on a scale of 0,1,2,3 & 4 which has been defined for each situation for each indicator. The total score for all the 13 indicators for a household will thus, vary between 0-52. The investigator should tick the most appropriate column after assessing the correct situation from the respondent.  

The indicators are described below:

1. Size Group of Operational holding of land: This is the size of the land holding operated by the household. The size of un-irrigated land is assumed as twice the size of irrigated land.

2. Type of house: This depends on the material used in the construction of the house. The definitions are given in the schedule itself. If the house has facilities and structure like urban house, the Investigator may tick column No. 5.

3. Average availability of normal wear clothing (per person in pieces): The Investigator may enquire from the head of the household or from a member who can give correct information. Under garments should not be taken into account for working out the availability of clothing.

4. Food security: The information is to be carefully collected from the head of the household or from a responsible member of the household. A square meal is a meal containing the minimum nutritional levels.

5. Sanitation: The Investigator may enquire from the head of the household or from any member of the household who can provide correct information. Thereafter, the information may be, to the extent possible, physically verified.

The Score based ranking, adopted in BPL Census will classify the households into two categories, namely the ‘Poor’ and the ‘Non-Poor’.  

1. A new item (d) may be inserted after part (c) of profile of the household in the schedule, as given below:  

2. (d) whether owns land for construction of IAY house? (Yes/No)  

3. Subsequently the items (d) and (e) will become (e) and (f) respectively

6. Ownership of consumer durables: The Investigator must tick all the items, possessed by the household listed in the first column, after physically verifying them. Possession of items listed in the last column should also be indicated with tick marks. This is required for scrutinizing the schedules at a later stage, before finalising the BPL list. One of the remaining four columns should also be ticked mark, if the situation described therein is satisfied. The highest score of the ticked column is to be taken for working out the total score.  

7. Literacy Status of the highest literate adult: The Investigator has to tick the column after enquiring from the concerned member/ head of the household. The information should be in respect of the member of the household who has achieved highest literacy level in the household.  

8. Status of the household in labour force: The information is to be ascertained from the head of the household or from a responsible member of the household.  

9. Means of livelihood: the Investigator has to tick the column after collecting the information from the head of the household or from a responsible member of the household.  

10. Status of children (5-14 years) (any child): Children in the age group of 5-14 years are only to be considered for scoring. If different children satisfy different situations under this item, the column with lowest score and satisfied by any child of the household should be ticked.  

11. Type of indebtedness: The information is to be ascertained from the head of the household or from a responsible member of the household. In case the loan has been received from a Financial Institution, the same may be verified from the concerned institution.  

12. Reason for migration from household: The Investigator should assess the reasons for migration from the household. If no member has migrated, the household may be ticked as non-migrant. Migration on account of marriage is to be included in ‘other purposes’.  

13. Preference for Assistance: The Ministry of Rural Development has been implementing various schemes for BPL households. These households may have varying preference for different kind of assistance, which they may be offered. The Investigator should clearly indicate in the appropriate column the topmost preference of the household, after in-depth discussion with the head of the household and assessing the appropriate situation.  

14. How to tick? The Investigator may put the tick mark (Ö), in a clear manner, using ball pen, on the relevant column in each row. Pencil should not be used. If separate space has been provided for ticking, the tick mark may be put there; otherwise the tick mark may be put on the body of the cell falling in the row and appropriate column.

Example: