National Sample Survey

The National Sample Survey Organisation or NSSO, now National Sample Survey Office is an organization in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation of the Government of India. It is the largest organisation in India conducting regular socio-economic surveys.It is established in 1950. It has four divisions^[1]

1. Survey Design and Research Division (SDRD)
2. Field Operations Division (FOD)
3. Data Processing Division (DPD)
4. Co-ordination and Publication Division (CPD)

ITS FOUNDER IS PROF.MAHALANOBIS

Clash of NSSO, National Accounts Data
NSSO’s estimates of consumption expenditure and those of national accounts have a wide difference owing to the
expanding consumption basket. The estimates by NSSO are almost half the national accounts figures for 2009-10.
Thus, the Planning Commission’s poverty estimates for 2009-10 would have been lower by around 17.8% points (i.e.
from 29.8% to just 12%), had it used the old methodology of bringing parity between consumption expenditure figures
by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) and national accounts





Living standard of the poorest of urban population improved: NSS data
As per the 68th National Sample Survey Data:
 There is 17 % improvement in expenditure patterns of the poorest segment of India’s urban population in two
years till 2011-12.
 The poorest 10 % of India’s rural population had an average Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) of Rs
503.49 per month.
 As per NSS for 2009-10, the poorest 10 % of the rural population had an average MPCE of Rs 453, while the
poorest 10 % of the urban population had an average MPCE of Rs 599.
 The survey was based on a sample of 59,070 households in 7,391 villages and 41,602 households in 5,223 urban
blocks. The final report is likely to be released in year 2013.
 The urban poorest 10 % lives on Rs 23.40/day while rural poorest survive at Rs 16.78.
 Rural areas showed lower growth rate in expenditure as the rural poor are known to depend more on non-traded
items.
 But in all income groups, the average monthly consumption expenditure increased by 18 % in rural areas against
13.2 %in urban areas.
 The average monthly spending by rural families in 2011-12 was at Rs 1,281.45 and by urban households was at Rs
2,401.68.
 The per capita expenditure level of the urban population was on the average about 87.4 % higher than that of
the rural population.
Current Affairs Published on www.gktoday.in from January 1, 2012 to
September 10, 2012
 Improvement in the monthly per capita consumption expenditure as purchasing power had grown due to higher
incomes since Indians traditionally don’t borrow to finance spending.
 The consumption expenditure in rural areas is increasing and it is spending more on diversified and
manufactured items.
 The gap b/w the richest 10 % of the population and the poorest 10 % was wider in urban areas.
 The richest 10 % of the rural population had an average MPCE of Rs 3,459.77, about 6.9 times that of the poorest
10%, the ratio increased to 10.9 times in the metro cities.