The Gazetteers Department

The increase in the number of domestic servants is an indication of the growing urbanisation and the rise in money-incomes of the people in urban areas.

The nature of work of a domestic servant in urban areas differs from that of a servant in rural areas of the district. In rural areas, domestic servants are employed during the agricultural seasons for undertaking some type of agricultural work. Those in urban areas are employed on full-time or part-time basis for cleaning and washing of utensils, cooking, gardening and many other domestic duties.

The domestic servants in urban areas are paid in cash and sometimes are served meals in addition to a definite salary, while the domestic servants in rural areas are either paid in cash or kind. A servant in urban areas is paid higher than the one in rural areas.

The 1951 Census recorded 6,129 persons (4,485 males, 1,644 females) as engaged in 'domestic services'. Of these, 3,820 (including 1,042 females) domestic servants were in urban areas of the district. The 1961 Census figures recorded a decrease in employment to 2,737 persons (1,794 males, 943 females) as engaged in these services and classified these services into two categories. The number of persons engaged in these services is given in table No. 4.

The 1971 Census includes domestic services under 'personal services ', and accounts the number of persons employed in these services as 2,242, of which 841 are employed in urban areas and 1,401 in rural areas of the district. It also records the number of establishments providing personal services as 479 and 934 in urban and rural areas, respectively.

The earnings of a domestic servant differ according to the type of work. A cook is paid between Rs. 30 and Rs. 100 per month depending upon the number of members in a family while the earnings of those employed for washing and cleaning of utensils vary between Rs. 8 and Rs. 15 per month. A domestic servant lives from hand to mouth, and many times he has to indulge in debts to satisfy his primary needs of life.

TABLE No. 1—NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN RECREATIONAL SERVICES, 1961, AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT

Category	Total			Rural			Urban
Category	Persons	Males	Females	Persons	Males	Females	Persons	Males	Females
1. Cinema houses	166	164	2	52	52	--	114	112	2
2. Theatres, opera companies, ballet and dancing parties, musicians, exhibitions, circus, carnivals	840	674	166	374	303	71	466	371	95
3. In-door and out-door sports	160	127	33	159	126	33	1	1	--

TABLE No. 2—CLASSIFICATION OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN 1951, AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT

Classification	Total			Rural			Urban
Classification	Persons	Males	Females	Persons	Males	Females	Persons	Males	Females
(i) Police (other than village watchmen)	1,883	1,845	38	487	457	30	1,396	1,388	8
(ii) Village officers and servants, including village watchmen	1,121	1,102	19	1,002	984	18	119	118	1
(iii) Employees of municipalities and local bodies	836	765	71	219	211	8	617	554	63
(iv) Employees of State Government	2,563	2,514	49	749	722	27	1,814	1,792	22
(v) Employees of the Union Government	5,711	5,647	64	128	126	2	5,883	5,521	62
(vi) Employees of non-Indian Governments	1	1	--	1	1	--	--	--	--
Total	12,115	11,874	241	2,586	2,501	85	9,829	9,373	156

TABLE No. 3—NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN PUBLIC SERVICES IN 1961 IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT

Classification	Total			Rural			Urban
Classification	Persons	Males	Females	Persons	Males	Females	Persons	Males	Females
Public services*—	15,159	14,400	759	5,826	5,496	330	9,333	8,904	429
(i) Public service in Police	1,632	1,619	13	752	752	--	880	867	13
(ii) Public service in administrative departments and offices of Central Government.	5,290	5,216	74	564	562	2	4,726	4,654	72
(iii) Public service in administrative departments and offices of quasi-Government organisations, municipalities, local bodies, etc.	3,292	2,759	533	1,731	1,466	265	1,561	1,293	268

(iv) Public service in administrative departments and offices of State Government.	4,945	4,806	139	2,779	2,716	63	2,166	2,090	76

* This does not include Government, quasi-Government or local body activities, other than administrative, in such fields as transport, communication, information and broadcasting, education and scientific services, health industries, production, construction, marketing and financial institutions each of which is classified in the appropriate industry groups.

TABLE No. 4—EMPLOYMENT IN DOMESTIC SERVICES, 1961, IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT

Classification	Total			Rural			Urban
Classification	Persons	Males	Females	Persons	Males	Females	Persons	Males	Females
(i) Services rendered to house-holds such as those by domestic servants and cooks.	2,607	925	1,682	1,347	616	731	1,260	309	951
(ii) Services rendered to house-holds such as those by governess, tutor, private secretary, etc.	130	18	112	3	3	--	127	15	112
Total	2,737	943	1,794	1,350	619	731	1,387	324	1,063

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