Comprehensive Digitised Survey of Persons Engaged in Begging in Delhi

Overview:

The survey aimed to provide an accurate estimate of beggars across various districts of NCT Delhi to aid in the formulation of policies and implementation plans for the rehabilitation of beggars.

Methodology: The study employed a semi-structured questionnaire, consisting of both closed and open-ended questions, to collect data from 11 districts of Delhi: North, North-East, North-West, West, South, South-West, South-East, New-Delhi, Central, Shahdara, and East.

Supplementary methods included key informant interviews with stakeholders and case studies to gain an in-depth understanding of the issues being studied.

Key Findings:

1. Demographics: 20,719 people engaged in begging across 11 districts, with 53% males, 46% females, and 1% transgenders.
2. Concentration Areas: High concentrations of beggars are found at religious places, streets/footpaths, traffic signals, and market areas.
3. Education Levels: 70% are illiterate, 22% have primary education, and 8% have secondary or higher education.
4. Categories of Begging: Beggars include part-timers (20%), physically disabled (13%), hereditary (11%), casual (11%), temporarily unemployed (11%), child/juvenile (8%), destitute (6%), babies in arms (5%), and religious mendicants (5%).
5. Migration: 67% are migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
6. Living Conditions: 55% are homeless or shelter-less, while 45% live in slums or JJ Colonies.
7. Begging Duration: 52% are ‘new entrants’, 40% are ‘old timers’, and 8% have been begging since birth.
8. Reasons for Begging: Reasons include poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, old age, disability, illness, and some individuals turned to begging due to the ease of earning or COVID-19-related job losses.
9. Income Levels: 65% earn less than Rs. 200 per day, 23% earn between Rs. 200-500, and 12% receive alms in kind.
10. Part-Time Work: One-fifth are engaged in part-time work such as casual labor, rag-picking, domestic help, petty businesses, street vending, rickshaw pulling, and low-paid temporary jobs.

Policy Implications:

• Formulation of Rehabilitation Policies: Use accurate data to develop and implement effective policies and plans for the rehabilitation of beggars.
• Targeted Interventions: Address the underlying causes of begging, such as poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and lack of shelter, by providing alternative livelihoods and social support.
• Support for COVID-19 Affected Individuals: Implement specific interventions for those who began begging due to the pandemic, focusing on vulnerable groups like women and temporary workers.