{"id":8990,"date":"2025-10-10T13:33:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T08:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=8990"},"modified":"2025-10-10T13:33:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T08:03:11","slug":"harnessing-data-for-development-symposium-underscores-transformative-role-of-nss-surveys-in-policy-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=8990","title":{"rendered":"Harnessing Data for Development: Symposium Underscores Transformative Role of NSS Surveys in Policy Making"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Harnessing Data for Development: Symposium Underscores Transformative Role of NSS Surveys in Policy Making<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Posted On: 09 OCT 2025 8:00PM by PIB Delhi<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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The National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, organised a\u00a0National Symposium on \u201cHow NSS Surveys Have Influenced Public Policy\u201d\u00a0on\u00a09th October 2025\u00a0at the\u00a0Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bengaluru. The event marked the\u00a075 years of the National Sample Survey (NSS)\u2014a legacy of statistical excellence that has shaped India\u2019s evidence-based policy and planning landscape.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Inaugural Session\u00a0of the Symposium was graced by\u00a0Dr. Saurabh Garg, IAS, Secretary, MoSPI,\u00a0Dr. Ashok Dalwai, Chairman, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC),\u00a0Ms. Geeta Singh Rathore, Director General, National Sample Survey (NSS),\u00a0Prof. Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Former Director, IIM Bengaluru, and\u00a0Prof. Gopal Naik, Chairperson, Centre for Public Policy (CPP), IIM Bengaluru. The event witnessed participation of over 200 delegates, including policymakers, economists, academicians, statisticians, and media representatives from Central and State Governments, academia, and industry associations.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Prof. Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Former Director, IIM Bengaluru, welcomed the dignitaries and participants and highlighted the institution\u2019s contribution to research and policy through its Centre for Public Policy (CPP). He underscored the importance of data-driven governance and appreciated the Ministry\u2019s leadership in advancing statistical reforms and improving data quality through technological innovation.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ms. Geeta Singh Rathore, DG, NSS, emphasized that \u201cgood data leads to good decisions,\u201d transforming governance from\u00a0guessing to knowing<\/em>. She highlighted the efforts of the NSS field staff, adoption of new technologies including\u00a0AI\/ML tools, and the Ministry\u2019s focus on enhancing data accessibility and collaboration with stakeholders.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI,\u00a0in his opening remarks, underscored that the 75-year legacy of NSS reflects India\u2019s strong commitment to data-based policymaking. He reiterated the importance of stakeholder feedback in identifying data gaps and ensuring that surveys remain relevant to evolving needs. He outlined MoSPI\u2019s roadmap to strengthen data systems by enhancing data quality and timeliness, increasing frequency of estimates such as monthly PLFS, expanding coverage through new surveys including Household Income and CAPEX, leveraging technology like CAPI for real-time validation, promoting research collaboration and open data dissemination through the e-Sankhyiki Portal, and exploring AI-based analytics for data-driven insights. He reiterated that data should be effectively utilized for informed decisions and urged all participants to contribute towards strengthening India\u2019s statistical system.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Prof. Gopal Naik, Chairperson of the Centre for Public Policy (CPP), IIM Bengaluru,\u00a0spoke about CPP\u2019s engagement with evidence-based research and policymaking and the pivotal role of NSS data in informing India\u2019s social and economic research. He pointed out that NSS surveys have generated enormous amounts of data that have proven invaluable to researchers and policymakers. He also highlighted how NSS data has been instrumental in studying issues such as poverty, employment, and consumption, thereby shaping government interventions and development programs. Prof. Naik stressed the importance of maintaining data quality and reliability and thanked MoSPI and NSS for their continued efforts in improving data collection and dissemination processes.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Delivering the\u00a0keynote address,\u00a0Dr. Ashok Dalwai, Chairman, ISEC, reflected on the NSS\u2019s journey and its impact on poverty assessment, employment policy, and social development. He appreciated the methodological rigor of NSS while suggesting increased survey frequency, consistency, and improved sectoral coverage. Dr. Dalwai further emphasized that NSS has played a vital role in shaping India\u2019s Five-Year Plans, framing welfare programmes, and assessing the socio-economic transition of households over decades. He highlighted the growing need to synchronize NSS findings with administrative and Big Data sources to ensure real-time policy relevance. He concluded by noting that strengthening survey comparability and methodological continuity would further elevate the global standing of India\u2019s statistical system.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A\u00a0technical session\u00a0followed, led by\u00a0Shri Salil Kumar Mukhopadhyay, Additional Director General, NSO, highlighting the evolution of NSS and technological advancements that transformed survey processes, including digital platforms for TUS, ASUSE, and NHTS.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The symposium featured\u00a0three panel discussions, each focusing on a vital dimension of the NSS\u2019s role in shaping India\u2019s data ecosystem and public policy:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. NSS Data for Public Policy and Public Use\u00a0\u2013 explored accessibility and public use of NSS data, moderated by\u00a0Prof. Arnab Mukherjee (IIM Bangalore), with contributions from experts such as,\u00a0Shri Hari Vetharenian (Development Data Lab),\u00a0Prof. Amit Basole (Azim Premji University)\u00a0and\u00a0Ms. Rukmini S (Data for India). The session highlighted the importance of open data, transparency, and ethical use of granular datasets in public decision-making. Panelists underscored the growing role of platforms like SHRUG and e-Sankhyiki in democratizing access to NSS data and empowering evidence-based local governance.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    1. NSS Data for Research \u2013Highlights and Challenges\u00a0\u2013 moderated by\u00a0Prof. Aditya Srivastav (IIMB), with participation from\u00a0ADGs of NSS, discussing data usability, panel datasets, and data access mechanisms. The session emphasized the need for deeper documentation, improved metadata, and training opportunities for researchers and students using NSS data.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      Panelists also discussed innovations such as integrating DIGIPIN for longitudinal tracking and enhancing collaboration between MoSPI and academic institutions to support robust empirical research.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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      1. Future Relevance of Unit-Level Data\u00a0\u2013 featured eminent experts including\u00a0Prof. Pulak Ghosh (IIMB),\u00a0Prof. Madhura Swaminathan (ISI Bengaluru),\u00a0Prof. Bharat Ramaswami (Ashoka University), and\u00a0Dr. Surjit Bhalla (Former Member, EAC-PM), moderated by\u00a0Prof. Amit Basole. The panel emphasized the growing importance of granular, gender-disaggregated, and integrated data sources\u2014combining survey, administrative, and satellite data\u2014to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and enhance local-level estimates.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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        The\u00a0National Symposium\u00a0concluded with an\u00a0interactive session\u00a0between data users and producers, encouraging a constructive dialogue on strengthening the country\u2019s statistical architecture. The deliberations reaffirmed\u00a0MoSPI\u2019s commitment\u00a0to advancing the use of official statistics for evidence-based policymaking, promoting technological innovation in survey operations, and deepening engagement with academic and research institutions. Marking\u00a075 years of NSS, the event celebrated its enduring legacy and envisioned its continued contribution to building a\u00a0Viksit Bharat @2047.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Harnessing Data for Development: Symposium Underscores Transformative Role of NSS Surveys in Policy Making Posted On: 09 OCT 2025 8:00PM by PIB Delhi The National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, organised a\u00a0National Symposium on \u201cHow NSS Surveys Have Influenced Public Policy\u201d\u00a0on\u00a09th October 2025\u00a0at the\u00a0Indian Institute of Management …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8990"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8992,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8990\/revisions\/8992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}