Abstract

In the present study, an attempt has been made to examine the spatial patterns of beggars’ demographiccharacteristics, literacy, employment, income, household infrastructural facilities, and their socioeconomic status inAligarh district of Uttar Pradesh. This work is based on primary source of data, collected through the field survey in theAligarh district carried out during 2009. The 6 per cent villages (i.e. 70) of the total inhabited villages (1,180) of thedistrict have been selected for rural survey from the stratified random sampling technique and the 6 per cent wardsfrom the all 13 towns of the district were selected for urban survey. Further, the 25 per cent beggars’ households weresurveyed from the each selected village as well as ward of the study area. Altogether, 892 beggars’ households weresurveyed for the present study, in which, the rural survey consisted of 496 households and the urban surveycomprised of 396 households. The regional analysis reveals that beggars of the central blocks of the districtexperienced the low level of socio-economic status, while, the peripheral blocks witnessed high as well as mediumlevel of socio-economic status.