Indian District Database

Census definition of 'Household Industry':

Household industry was defined as an industry conducted by the head of the household himself/herself and/or by the members of the household at home or within the village in rural areas, and only within the precincts of the house where the household lived in urban areas. the larger proportion of workers in a household industry should consist of members of the household including the head. The industry should not be run on the scale of a registered factory.

The main criterion of a household industry was the participation of one or more members of a household. This criterion applied in urban areas too. Even if the industry was not actually located in the house but was located somewhere within the village limits in the rural areas, there was greater possibility of the members of the household participating in the industry. In the urban areas where organized industry was more prominent, the household industry was to be confined to the precincts of the house where the participants lived. In urban areas even if the members of the household by themselves ran an industry but at a place away from the precincts of their home, it was not considered a household industry.

A household industry is one that is engaged in production, processing, servicing, repairing or making and selling (but not merely selling) of goods. It does not include professions such as those practised by a pleader or doctor or barber, musician, dancer, dhobi, astrologer etc. or merely trade or business, even if such professions, trade or services are run at home by members of the household. A list of a few typical household industries is given in Annexe. 3.

From the 1971 census:

Category 4 of 1961, (household industry), is now included in category 5 -- (manufacturing, 'processing, servicing and repairs) as Cal. 5(a) -- household industry. At the 1961 Census, "households industry" covered establishments falling under divisions '0' and '1' of the National Industrial Classification, e.g., cattle rearing, orchardry, plantations, etc., apart from divisions 2 & 3. At the 1971 Census, "household industry" is confined to division 2 and 3 only, it covers only manufacturing, processing, servicing or repairing.

 

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Indian District Database
Last updated October 1, 2000
comments to: Reeve Vanneman. reeve@umd.edu