**Summary:**
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), through the National Statistics Office (NSO), is planning a Household Income Survey in 2026. A Technical Expert Group (TEG) has been formed to provide technical guidance on the survey's methodology and execution. This group, chaired by Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla (Former Executive Director of India, International Monetary Fund), includes economists and professors from institutions such as the Delhi School of Economics and Jawaharlal Nehru University. The TEG's responsibilities encompass finalizing concepts, definitions, survey methods, instruments, sampling design, estimation methods, and the final survey report. The development of survey methodology and instruments is underway, guided by the TEG. The survey aims to capture income diversity across socioeconomic, regional, caste, and occupational groups, including informal workers, marginal farmers, tribal communities, and women-headed households. The government will address historical underreporting of income, particularly in the informal sector, and implement tools and safeguards to enhance data accuracy. The survey results will be disaggregated by region, caste, gender, and occupation to support evidence-based policymaking on inequality and redistribution.
Key Entities Referenced
Household Income Survey 2026: A proposed survey by the Government of India to collect data on household income.
Shri Gaurav Gogoi: Member of Parliament who raised questions regarding the Household Income Survey 2026.
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI): The Indian government ministry responsible for planning and conducting the Household Income Survey 2026 through the National Statistics Office (NSO).
National Statistics Office (NSO): The office under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) responsible for conducting the Household Income Survey 2026.
Rao Inderjit Singh: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
Technical Expert Group (TEG): A group constituted to provide technical guidance for the Household Income Survey 2026.
Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla: Former Executive Director of India, International Monetary Fund and Chairman of the Technical Expert Group (TEG).
Delhi School of Economics: An institute represented in the Technical Expert Group.
Jawaharlal Nehru University: An institute represented in the Technical Expert Group.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2858
TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025
HOUSEHOLD INCOME SURVEY 2026
2858. Shri Gaurav Gogoi:
Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has finalised the sampling framework
and methodology for the upcoming Household Income Survey
proposed in 2026, if so, the details thereof;
(b) the steps being taken to ensure that the survey captures the
diversity of income sources across India’s socio-economic, regional,
caste and occupational groups particularly informal workers, marginal
farmers, tribal communities and women-headed households;
(c) whether the survey methodology would be publicly released in
advance for expert and stakeholder review, if so, the details thereof;
(d) the manner in which the Government plans to address historical
under- reporting of income, especially in the informal sector and what
tools or safeguards are being introduced to improve data accuracy;
and
(e) whether the results of the survey would be disaggregated by
region, caste, gender, and occupation to enable evidence-based policy
making on inequality and redistribution, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
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]
(a) to (e): The National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics &
Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has planned to conduct a survey
on Household Income Survey in the year 2026. For providing technical
guidance with regard to finalization of concepts and definitions,preparation of the survey method and instruments, sampling design,
method of estimation on analyzing best country practices adopted
across the world, a Technical Expert Group (TEG) under the
Chairmanship of Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla, Former Executive Director of
India, International Monetary Fund has been constituted. The TEG
consists of eminent Economists and Professors from different
Institutes of International repute like, Delhi School of Economics,
Jawaharlal Nehru University etc. The ToR of the TEG inter-alia include
providing guidance with regard to finalisation of concepts and
definitions, preparation of the survey method and instruments,
sampling design and method of estimation, finalization of the
survey results and report for release. The development of survey
methodology and survey instruments for the Household Income Survey
under the overall guidance of TEG has been started.
*****