The NSSO (FOD) under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to facilitate Urban Frame Survey (UFS) in a digital mode using the state-of-the-art Geo ICT tools and techniques using Bhuvan Platform. The MoU was signed by Shri Subash Chandra Malik, Additional Director General, NSSO, MoSPI and Dr. Srinivasa Rao S, Deputy Director, BGWSA, NRSC in the presence of Dr. Prakash Chauhan,  Director NRSC, Dr K Vinod Kumar, Associate Director, NRSC and Shri Raushan Kumar Choudhary,  Deputy Director General (UFS).

UFS is conducted in five-year phases to prepare and maintain a frame of compact urban geographical units, which serve as sampling frame in urban sector, mainly for NSSO large scale Socio-Economic Surveys. The UFS in digital form was carried out for the first time during Phase 2017-22 using Bhuvan platform covering more than 5300 towns. In the current phase (2022 – 2027), survey works of around 8134 towns are planned with improved and robust versions of Mobile, Desktop and Web Based GIS solutions built on Bhuvan Platform.

The MoU Covers development / improvement of mobile application for Geo-tagging of NSSO Urban Frame Survey data, Web portal for visualization, system generated scrutiny, editing, etc. of data submitted through mobile application, QGIS plug-in for accessing the polygons captured through mobile application and fine-tuning of Block, IV-unit, Ward and Town boundaries of UFS using High Resolution Satellite Imagery; and Capacity building of NSSO officials by NRSC.      

This collaboration is aimed at transformation of UFS from analogue to digital mode and helps MoSPI to achieve the targets of updating Urban Frame regularly in a timely manner.

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BY/AG