The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) collects primary data for Consumer Price Index (CPI) on monthly basis. Accordingly, CPI for Rural, Urban & combined is released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on 12^th day of every month. Further, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data is also released by MoSPI as per Advance Release Calendar. With respect to Consumer Expenditure Survey, the National Statistical Commission (NSC) in its 112^th Meeting recommended for two back-to-back annual surveys on consumer expenditure to be undertaken during the period 2020-21 and 2021-22. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation prevailed during 2020 & 2021, the period was considered to be an abnormal one and hence Consumer Expenditure Survey was not taken up. The latest Survey on Household Consumption Expenditure has been launched from August, 2022. With respect to the Economic Census (EC), The fieldwork of 7th EC was envisaged to be completed in the three months’ time from its launch. However, due to several operational challenges with the implementing agency, collection of primary data could not be completed as envisaged and it is stretched up to March 2021.

In respect of systemic improvement and timely publication of data, modern IT tools are being adopted by MoSPI. As a part of this, all the surveys of NSSO are now being conducted in CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview), loaded with in-built Computer Scrutiny Points (CSP), for data validation at different stages of data capturing which is a cloud based digital platform ensuring simultaneous data processing. It enables faster validation and improved data quality along with the time cycle involved in publishing the survey result.

This information was given by the Minister of State (I/C) for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Ministry of Planning and Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

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BY/AKN