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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4276
TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026
NATIONAL SAMPLE SURVEY
4276. SHRI MAHENDRA SINGH SOLANKY:
SHRI TEJASVI SURYA:
DR. HEMANG JOSHI:
Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME
IMPLEMENTATION be pleased to state:
(a) the details of specific technological initiatives have been
introduced recently to modernize the National Sample Survey
(NSS) processes;
(b) the manner in which the adoption of digital platforms impacted
the time lag between data collection and the final release of
survey results in the country, particularly in Dewas and
Shajapur Lok Sabha Constituency in Madhya Pradesh;
(c) whether the Government has established a formal mechanism to
provide data users with a predictable schedule for upcoming
reports and publications and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the timeline by which the Government expect to fully implement
AI-enabled tools to assist the public in interacting with official
statistical datasets in the country particularly in Dewas and
Shajapur Lok Sabha Constituency in Madhya Pradesh?
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): The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)
has undertaken several technological initiatives in recent years to
modernise the National Sample Survey (NSS). Primary data collection in
NSS surveys is carried out through digital platforms using Computer
Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) and web-based applications with in-built validation mechanisms to ensure data consistency at the stage of
collection. These systems facilitate real-time submission and validation
of survey data and have helped reduce the time required for processing
and dissemination of survey results. The digital platforms provide
bilingual (Hindi/English) interfaces for ease of data collection. In some
surveys such as CAPEX, ASI and ASUSE, chatbot-based features have
also been introduced in the CAPI/web portal to assist respondents and
field officials in resolving queries during data collection. The collected
data are further examined by supervisory officers at different levels and
the survey process is monitored through digital systems.
(b): Under the earlier paper-based data collection system, filled-in
schedules had to be physically transported and subsequently digitised
before processing, which added to the overall processing time. The
adoption of digital data collection platforms enables near real-time
submission and validation of survey data, thereby streamlining data
processing and analysis. As a result, the time lag in release of Annual
Reports of NSS surveys has been reduced from around eight months
earlier to about three months after completion of fieldwork. In addition
to this, the monthly and quarterly reports of NSS surveys, wherever
applicable, are released within 15 days and 40 days, respectively, from
the end of the corresponding survey period. These improvements apply
uniformly across all surveyed areas of States/Union Territories,
including Madhya Pradesh.
(c): MoSPI publishes an Advance Release Calendar (ARC) on its
official website indicating the tentative schedule for release of
major statistical reports and publications, including those based on
surveys conducted under the National Sample Survey. The ARC
provides advance information to users regarding the likely dates of
release of various reports.
(d): MoSPI is leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance
accessibility, searchability, and usability of reports, datasets, and
publications released by MoSPI to the stakeholders. AI is being
integrated into eSankhyiki portal and AI enabled chatbot has been
hosted on MoSPI revamped website to improve data discovery and
to improve user interaction. However, no specific timeline has been
fixed for full implementation of AI-enabled tools.
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