Webinar Link

Meeting No: 2515 933 6288
Password: survey

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Abstract

The Indian National Sample Survey (NSS), launched in 1950, stands as one of the world’s largest and most enduring household survey systems, providing invaluable socio-economic data for policy formulation, academic research, and national planning. Over its 75-year journey, the NSS has developed a robust methodology based on stratified multi-stage sampling, periodic thematic rounds, and comprehensive rural-urban coverage, making it a cornerstone of India’s statistical system. This webinar reflects on the evolution of survey methodologies, highlighting their strengths in delivering consistent, nationally representative data while also addressing the limitations inherent in recall-based reporting, timeliness of dissemination, and challenges in capturing emerging socio-economic realities. Drawing upon decades of experience, the discussion emphasizes the critical need to modernize data collection through technology-driven approaches, integrate administrative and digital data sources, and expand coverage to include new sectors such as the gig economy, digital platforms, and evolving consumption patterns. Looking ahead, strengthening the NSS database through faster dissemination, improved transparency, and deeper state-level collaboration will be essential to ensure its continued relevance in shaping India’s developmental trajectory.

In this webinar, the panelists will deliberate on the journey of the NSS over the past 75 years, share insights on methodological innovations and challenges, and explore strategies for addressing critical data gaps. They will also discuss how the NSS can adapt to the rapidly changing socio-economic landscape of India, ensuring that it continues to serve as a vital tool for evidence-based policymaking in the years to come.

About the speakers

S. Mahendra Dev

Prof. S. Mahendra Dev is presently Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). He was the Director and Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) in Mumbai for 12 years during 2010-2022. Prior to this position, he was Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, Ministry of Agriculture from 2008 to 2010. He was Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, D.C. He was also member of the Board of IFPRI for seven years from 2013 to 2019. He was member and Acting Chairman of the National Statistical Commission, Government of India. He got the prestigious Malcolm Adisesaiah Award in 2016.

He is Chairman of the Institute for Development Studies, Andhra Pradesh and Distinguished Professor at ICFAI Faculty of Social Sciences, Hyderabad. He was independent director in Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank. He is currently the Association President of the Indian Society of Agricultural Marketing.

His main areas of interest are development economics, agricultural economics Macroeconomics. He has around 150 research publications.He has written or edited 23 books. His book “Perspectives on Equitable Development” was released by the former Prime Minister of India. He is a Ph.D. from the Delhi School of Economics and post-doctoral from Yale University, USA.

Gurucharan Manna

Gurucharan Manna joined NCAER as a Senior Adviser at NCAER. He was the Director General of CSO and NSSO in the Government of India. Dr Manna has nearly 40 years of specialized experience in sample design, estimation procedures for household and establishment surveys, and the design of survey questionnaires and related documents for fieldwork and data validation. Over the years, his responsibilities at NSSO/CSO have included the compilation of GDP estimates; conduct of the 6th Economic Census; technical coordination and supervision of the Annual Survey of Industries, Energy Statistics, and Infrastructure Statistics; compilation of the Index of Industrial Production and the Index of Service Production; finalization of survey methodologies and reports for NSSO socio-economic surveys; and compilation of foreign trade statistics. Dr Manna is currently a member of the Ministry of Statistics Standing Committee on Labour Force Statistics, the Working Groups of the NSS 75th and 76th Rounds, the NSSO’s Standing Committee on Labour Force Statistics, and the Labour Bureau’s Expert Group on the Quarterly Employment Survey.