SDG 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation | National Statistical Office
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will host a National Symposium on “How NSS Surveys Have Influenced Public Policy” on October 9, 2025, at IIM Bengaluru, marking 75 years of the National Sample Survey (NSS) — India’s flagship system for large-scale socio-economic data. Organised jointly with IIMB, Azim Premji University, ISEC, and ISI Bengaluru, the event will review how the NSS has shaped policy design and programme evaluation since its inception in 1950.
The symposium will bring together statisticians, policymakers, and academics to reflect on the NSS’s contribution to data-driven governance and the ongoing transformation of India’s statistical ecosystem. Discussions will focus on using NSS data for public policy, enhancing open access, addressing methodological challenges, and ensuring future relevance through digital innovation.
The release highlights recent advances such as digital enumeration via the e-SIGMA platform, the introduction of high-frequency and district-level datasets, and real-time dissemination systems — signalling MoSPI’s shift toward technology-enabled, high-granularity statistics.
The symposium underscores MoSPI’s effort to modernize the National Statistical System (NSSO–NSC–MoSPI) as a central pillar of Viksit Bharat @ 2047. Building capacity for faster, interoperable, and transparent data is vital to ensure evidence-based policy formulation and inter-institutional collaboration.
What is e-SIGMA?
e-SIGMA (Electronic Schedule Information through Gateway Management Application) is MoSPI’s digital data collection and management platform used by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). It enables real-time, paperless field surveys using tablets or handheld devices, improving data accuracy, timeliness, and monitoring of enumerators’ progress. e-SIGMA marks a major step in India’s shift toward technology-enabled statistical operations, reducing delays and human errors in large-scale socio-economic surveys.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can India’s statistical system balance innovation and open-data access with the rigour and trust that underpin official statistics?
Follow the full release here: PIB – National Symposium on How NSS Surveys Have Influenced Public Policy