Mehrotra, Santosh creator Mander, Harsh text xu| 2009 continuing ng p.37-44. The Census of 2002 to identify the poor in rural areas of India was the third in a quinquennial series. However, it has been appropriately criticised. This paper elaborates on the criticisms, and proposes an alternative set of criteria and methodology for conducting the next (now overdue) census of the rural population to identify the poor. - Reproduced. Poverty Economic and Political Weekly 180718