Guwahati: The National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation is gearing up for three major surveys starting from January 2025 due to the increasing importance of data in policymaking.
To ensure the smooth conduct of these surveys, a four-day Regional Training Camp is being held in Guwahati from December 16 to 19 to impart training to all field personnel involved in these surveys.
The upcoming surveys include the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), the 80th Round Socio-Economic Survey (SES) with a focus on health and a Comprehensive Modular Survey on Telecom (CMS-T), and the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE).
PLFS will provide insights into the country’s labour force, unemployment rates, and other key labor market indicators. The 80th Round SES will collect data on health indicators and Comprehensive Modular Survey-Telecom, (CMS-T) for providing information on telecom-related indicators and ICT skills. ASUSE will focus on the economic sector of the country, a significant component of the Indian economy.
The Assam government, through the Department of Economics and Statistics, will play a crucial role in supporting the NSO’s efforts. The training camp will also equip state officials with the necessary skills to contribute to the success of these surveys.
While addressing the gathering, Swapnalee Bhattacharya, Deputy Director General, underlined that whereas the PLFS estimates important indicators like the unemployed, the labour force, etc.; the ASUSE tries to estimate the role and economic magnitude of an household enterprises.
“Due to the increasing importance of the estimates of these surveys, the total number of households to be covered during these surveys from Jan 2025 has been increased more than double as compared to the previous rounds,” she said.
She also spoke of the glorious legacy of data collection in India since 1950 and the success stories of 79 successful and fruitful rounds.
Continuing this legacy, the 80th Round Socio Economic Survey is carried out on Health and CMS-T, using CAPI software in tablets, she added.
Bhattacharya appealed to the general public for their cooperation as the survey depends solely on the support and cooperation of the public in patiently and truthfully answering the questions posed by the interviewer.
Pally Kundu, Additional Director General, inaugurated the Regional Training Camp. She emphasized the critical role of the health survey data in compiling the National Health Accounts and the importance of CMS-T data for international reporting.
Recognizing the immense responsibility of the Regional Offices in collecting such a large volume of data, she urged participants to prioritize data quality and timeliness.
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She also called upon officers from the Assam Department of Economics and Statistics to actively participate in the state sample work of the current survey round and to collaborate with NSO officers as needed.
