The document provides information on the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in India. It discusses that NSSO is a wing of the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation that is responsible for collecting socio-economic data through nationwide sample surveys. NSSO was established in 1970 and collects data on topics like employment, consumption, education and health. It has four divisions that handle survey design, field operations, data processing, and coordination/publications. NSSO provides data to help with policymaking, program evaluation, and research.

1. Guided by:
Dr Sarala R
Submitted by:
Dr Kritika Sarkar
Dated: 11-08-2021
Health survey research methodology
Assignment on:
National Sample Survey Office
(NSSO)

2. Statistical System In India
• Ministry of statistics & Program implementation (MOS&PI)
• 2 WINGS:
• STATISTICS WING: NATIONAL STATISTICAL ORGANIZATION (NSO)
• Central statistics office (CSO)
• National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)
• PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION WING

3. Statistical System In India
• Central Statistical Office (CSO):
The main responsibility assigned to the CSO is to bring about coordination of statistical activities among various
statistical agencies in the Central Government and of Statistical Bureaus of State Governments, which were set
up for similar coordination of activities of statistical agencies at the State level.
• National Sample Survey Office (NSSO):
The main responsibility assigned to the NSSO is to collect data on varied Socio-Economic subjects through nation-
wide sample surveys to create and update data base.

4. National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)
• The Directorate of National Sample Survey (NSS) came into being in 1950 to collect information through sample
surveys on a variety of socio-economic aspects.
• The Directorate of NSS was assigned the job of conducting the field work.
• The work relating to finalisation of sampling design, schedules of enquiries, writing of instructions, training of field
staff, processing of data and writing of reports was all entrusted to the Indian Statistical Institute.

5. National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)
• In March 1970, the Directorate of NSS was reorganised and all aspects of its work were brought under a
single government organization called National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) under the overall
technical guidance of Governing Council.
• After the formation of National Statistical Commission (NSC) on 01.06.2005, the Governing Council of
NSSO was dissolved and its work was taken over by NSC (National statistical commission).

6. NSC constitution
• Chairman: Eminent statistician or social scientist.
• Part time members: 4 part time members having
experience in
(i) Economic Statistics.,
(ii) Social and Environment Statistics.,
(iii) Statistical Operations such as Census/ Surveys
• The Secretary, Planning commission (ex-officio
member)
• CSI.

7. Collection of data on varied Socio-Economic subjects through nation-wide sample surveys to create &
update data base for use in:
-Policy formulation
-Programme implementation
-Programme evaluation
-Research & public debate and
-Economic & administrative decisions for national development.
National Sample Survey Office
Basic Objective:

8. THE PRESENT STRUCTURE
Ministry of Statistics & Programme implementation
National Statistical commission
National Sample Survey
Office (NSSO)
Survey design
research
division
(SDRD)
Field
operations
Division
(FOD)
Data
processing
division
(DPD)
Coordination
& Publication
division (CPD)

9. Organisational Structure
• The NSSO is headed by the Director General (Mr. Ajay Kumar Gupta).
• It is the largest survey organization of its kind with staff strength of about 5288 comprising 269 group A officers and 5019
other officials.

10. NSC andNational Sample Surveys (NSS)
• The NSSO functions under the overall guidance of the NSC and the Working groups constituted by it for each Round of
Socio-economic surveys.
• The NSC decides
– Short and long term programmes including subjects to be covered and periodicity
– Methodological improvements in conduct of surveys
• Approves sample design, concepts and definitions, questionnaires, estimation procedure, tabulation plan, etc.
• Approves studies for improving survey methodology, data collection, processing and dissemination and other issues .
• Approves the survey reports for release
• Constitute Expert Groups for any specific technical issue, if necessary

11. Schedule of Surveys
 Ten Year Cycle
 Consumer Expenditure and
Employment & Unemployment -
Twice
 Social Consumption (health, education etc.)
-
-
-
(generally 6 month survey)
 Un-organised Manufacturing
 Services Sector
 Land & Livestock holdings
and Debt & Investment
Twice
Twice
Twice
- Once
 Open Round - Two years (For other surveys on demand)

12. Survey DesignAnd Research Division (SDRD)
Located at Kolkata and headed by Addl.
Director General
Major Functions:
• Formulation of sampling design,
concepts and definitions
• Drawing of survey schedules
• Instruction Manuals for field work
• Finalisation of Sample List
• Scrutiny and validation instructions i.e.
FSP, PDES, CSP, HOWLER Pts. etc.
• Checking of Multipliers, draft tables
• Formulation of Tabulation plan
• Drawing up of Estimation Procedure
• Finalization of survey results &
Preparation of key reports
• Undertaking studies for the
improvement of survey methodology
• Publication and distribution/ sale of
NSS reports,
• Providing technical guidance on
sampling techniques to various official
• agencies, etc.
• Secretarial assistance to the Working
Group on NSS surveys

13. Field Operations Division (FOD) of NSSO
Hqrs. at New Delhi and Faridabad and headed by an
Addl. Director General.
The biggest Division of NSSO having a network of 175 offices spread throughout the length and breadth of the country
at 3-levels, viz.:
 6 Zonal Offices
 49 Regional Offices
 118 Sub-regional Offices
Responsible for carrying out the field work of not only the Socio-economic surveys but also for other surveys.

14. Activities of FOD
Besides carrying out the field work of Socio- economic surveys, the FOD is also responsible for:
Carrying out the field work of Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) on behalf of CSO;
Carrying out the supervision of agricultural surveys conducted by State Agricultural Statistical Authorities (SASA), on
area enumeration and crop cutting experiments;
Collection of Price Data for Consumer Price Index
(Urban) from Urban Centers, on behalf of CSO;
Collection of price data from rural centers for CPI for Agricultural/ Rural Labourers compiled by Labour Bureau; and
Carrying out the Urban Frame Survey (UFS), for a frame for urban areas for Socio-economic surveys.

15. Field Problems in SE Survey
• Length of schedules resulting in informant/ investigator fatigue
• Arduous field conditions
• Informants’ indifference/ reluctance
• Informants tend to hide their income and exaggerate their
expenditure
• Investigators are posted at a place where local people’s language is
not known to the Investigator
• To manage with contract investigators due to large no. of vacancies in
regular posts

16. Data Processing Division (DPD)
Located at Kolkata and headed by Addl. Director General
Major Functions
Toundertake data-processing and tabulation for various NSS rounds and other adhoc surveys.
• To provide technical assistance to the SSBs/ DESs for processing and tabulation of NSS State sample data and
also for pooling central and state sample data.
• To impart training on IT and data processing.
• Toundertake special tabulation work for Ministries/ Govt. Departments.

17. Activities of Data Processing
-Finalisation of sampling frame in consultation with SDRD
-Software development for generation of sample list as per the design and drawing sample as per allocation
-Software development for data entry, verification and validation for central and state sample
-Training Manual preparation (system design, data layout)
-PDEs (public data entry) inconsistencies taken up with FOD
-Phase-I validation, CSP content security policy(Content check)
-Phase-II validation (Coverage check)
-Phase-III validation (Howler check)
-Software for estimation procedure and computation of multiplier
-Generation of trial and final tables
-Dissemination of unit level data

18. Coordination & Publication Division
(CPD)
Located at New Delhi and headed by a Dy. Director General
Functions as technical secretariat for DG&CEO
• CPD is responsible for:
– Coordinating the activities of all the four divisions of
NSSO
– Dissemination of survey results
– Publication of the biannual technical journal "Sarvekshana".
– Supplying survey data of various rounds to individuals, research scholars, research Institutions and other
private and government bodies
– Liaison with other Departments/Ministries on various matters concerning NSSO.
– Dealing with Parliament questions.

19. • Deciding subject and formation of Working Group (WG)
• WG deliberations
• Subject coverage
• concepts and definitions,
• sampling design,
• draft survey instruments
• Finalisation of survey instruments
– Training manual and survey instruments ,
– AITOT
– Sample selection and dissemination of Sample List (Central and State sample)
– Tabulation plan and estimation procedure
– Quality control instruments
• FSP, PDES, CSP,
• Consolidated clarification on field queries post RTC
• Reply of queries from field offices of FOD & DES on regular basis.
• Data validation
– Computer Edit Programme (CEP), Trial tables, Final tables
• Report finalisation and Dissemination
– First draft, in-house discussion, 2nd draft, draft circulation, assimilation of
comments, approval by NSC
– printing, press release, release of report
– Dissemination, sale and documentation
Different Activities during one Round of NSS

20. Sample Design