National Statistical Office under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation - 20th July 2026 - Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation - Gazette Notification PDF
Read or download the official PDF of this gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on 20th July 2026. Classified under Press Release.
Executive Summary
The National Statistical Office (NSO) is modernizing India’s official statistical system by integrating digital technologies, administrative datasets, and standardized quality frameworks. Key initiatives include the adoption of Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) and the launch of the eSankhyiki and Metadata portals to enhance data quality and transparency. These measures aim to streamline data processing and facilitate broader public access to official statistics as reported to the Rajya Sabha on 20 July 2026.
Key Points / Main Content
Digital Modernization & Automation
Adoption of Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) using handheld devices with in-built validation checks.
Implementation of real-time monitoring dashboards, GPS tagging of surveyed households, and secure electronic data transmission.
Automation of survey stages including sample selection, field monitoring, and data processing to reduce timelines and improve quality.
Modernization of the MoSPI website with AI-enabled features and interactive dashboards.
Data Integration & Administrative Records
Integration of administrative datasets (e.g., GSTN database, MCA database, and Census 2011) to prepare sampling frames and select survey samples.
Leveraging geospatial technologies to strengthen survey planning and monitoring.
Quality Assurance & Standardization
Development of the Statistical Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF) based on United Nations standards to ensure efficiency and reliability.
Introduction of the National Metadata Structure (NMDS 2.0) to promote uniform data representation across various government levels.
Publication of a Compendium of Datasets and Registries covering 287 datasets from 43 Ministries/Departments.
Public Access & Dissemination
Launch of the eSankhyiki Portal as a single platform hosting 29 statistical products and over 137 million records.
Revamping of the Microdata Portal to provide access to anonymized unit-level data from 189+ socio-economic surveys.
Release of the GoIStat Mobile App and an Advance Release Calendar (ARC) to improve predictability and ease of access to statistics.
Impact Analysis
Ministries, Departments, and States/UTsImpact: These entities are now required to align with standardized metadata structures (NMDS 2.0) to ensure data is uniformly represented and discoverable across the government.
Action Required: They must disseminate their datasets along with corresponding metadata and utilize the newly developed frameworks for reporting official statistics.
General Public and ResearchersImpact: Stakeholders gain enhanced, transparent, and predictable access to official statistics through digital portals, mobile apps, and unit-level data for socio-economic research.
Action Required: Users can leverage the eSankhyiki Portal, Microdata Portal, and the Advance Release Calendar to plan data acquisition and perform detailed statistical analysis.
National Statistical Office (NSO) and Survey PersonnelImpact: Digital tools like CAPI and automated validation reduce the manual burden of data entry and processing while increasing the accuracy of field operations.
Action Required: Personnel must utilize handheld devices for data collection and adhere to real-time monitoring and GPS tagging protocols during survey operations.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI): The nodal ministry overseeing the modernization of India's official statistical system through digital integration, data standardization, and enhanced public access.
National Statistical Office (NSO): The primary agency under MoSPI responsible for implementing digital measures like Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) and automated survey processes to improve data quality.
Statistical Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF): A comprehensive framework based on United Nations standards developed to ensure quality assurance, reliability, and accountability in official statistics.
National Metadata Structure (NMDS 2.0): A standardized structure developed to ensure uniform representation and improved discoverability of data across various ministries, departments, and states.
eSankhyiki Portal: A centralized digital platform serving as a single source for the dissemination of official statistics, datasets, and statistical products via APIs and visualizations.
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
National Statistical Office under Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation has
taken several measures to modernise official
statistical system through greater use of digital
technologies
Administrative datasets are being increasingly integrated with
sample surveys for preparation of sampling frames and
selection of survey samples
MoSPI has developed the Statistical Quality Assessment
Framework based on the United Nations National Quality
Assurance Framework, 2019 to strengthen quality assurance
in official statistics
To promote standardisation of metadata, National Metadata
Structure (NMDS 2.0) has been developed and shared with
Ministries/Departments and States/UTs with the objective
that data and information are uniformly represented
प्रव तथ: 20 JUL 2026 3:19PM by PIB Delhi
The National Statistical Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
(MoSPI), has taken several measures to modernise the official statistical system through greater use of
digital technologies. Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) has been adopted for data
collection in surveys using handheld devices with in-built validation checks. Survey operations are
supported through centralized servers, real-time monitoring dashboards, GPS tagging of surveyed
households and secure electronic transmission of data. Various stages of the survey process, including
sample selection, field monitoring, survey administration, validation and data processing, have also been
automated. These measures have improved data quality by enabling validation at the point of data
collection, reduced the time required for data processing and facilitated faster dissemination of survey
results. Administrative records are also being increasingly used in statistical operations, while geospatial
technologies are leveraged, wherever feasible, to strengthen survey planning and monitoring.
Administrative datasets are being increasingly integrated with sample surveys for preparation of sampling
frames and selection of survey samples. For instance, the GSTN database is used as the sampling frame
for the Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises (ASISSE), while the Census 2011
village directory is used for the rural sector under the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises(ASUSE). The Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) uses administrative records maintained by the Chief
Inspector of Factories and other statutory registration authorities for preparation of its survey frame.
Similarly, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs database is used for preparing the survey frame for the
Forward Looking Survey of Private Corporate Sector CAPEX Investment Intentions. The use of these
administrative datasets has strengthened sampling frames, improved survey efficiency and contributed to
the timely compilation of official statistics.
MoSPI has developed the Statistical Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF), based on the United
Nations National Quality Assurance Framework (UN NQAF), 2019, to strengthen quality assurance in
official statistics. The SQAF provides a comprehensive framework covering all aspects to ensure
adherence to United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (UNFPOS) including aspects to
infuse greater efficiency, reliability and accountability. To promote standardisation of metadata, the
National Metadata Structure (NMDS 2.0) has been developed and shared with Ministries/Departments and
States/UTs with the objective that data and information are uniformly represented, provide clarity on the
data sources, collection methods and enhance discoverability of datasets. A Metadata Web Portal (MWP)
has also been launched for hosting metadata, and Ministries/Departments and States/UTs have been
advised to disseminate datasets along with their metadata. Further, a Compendium of Datasets and
Registries, covering 287 datasets of 43 Ministries/Departments, has been published to improve
discoverability and facilitate wider use of official datasets.
MoSPI has taken several steps to enhance public access and dissemination of official statistics. An
Advance Release Calendar (ARC) is available on MoSPI website indicating the schedule for release of
major statistical publications, thereby promoting transparency and predictability in dissemination. The
eSankhyiki Portal serves as a single platform for dissemination of official statistics and currently hosts 29
statistical products, 913 datasets and over 137 million records, supported by APIs, data visualisations and
metadata. The Microdata Portal has been revamped to provide access to anonymised unit-level data of
more than 189 socio-economic surveys. The Ministry has also modernised its website with AI-enabled
features and interactive dashboards and launched the GoIStat Mobile App to facilitate easier access to
official statistics. In addition, reports, bulletins, factsheets and unit-level data are disseminated through the
Ministry's website. Official statistics are further disseminated through multiple communication platforms
such as newspapers, television, radio, digital and social media, podcasts on Sansad TV, exhibitions,
collaboration with MyGov, explanatory videos, infographics and other multimedia content to maximize
outreach and strengthen public engagement.
This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning and
Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture Rao Inderjit Singh in the Rajya Sabha today.
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