- The National Statistical Office (NSO) is the nodal statistical agency of the Government of India, functioning under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
- It was formed in 2019 by merging the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) to improve coordination, data quality, and efficiency.
Mandate and role
- Responsible for the collection, compilation, analysis, and dissemination of official statistics at the national level.
- Acts as the central authority for statistical standards, methodologies, and classifications used by Union ministries and States.
- Supports evidence-based policymaking, planning, and monitoring of development programmes.
Key functions
- Conducts large-scale sample surveys on socio-economic indicators such as employment, consumption, health, education, and housing.
- Compiles national accounts statistics, including GDP, GVA, savings, investment, and capital formation.
- Releases key macroeconomic indicators like Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and Consumer Price Index (CPI).
- Maintains and updates statistical frames, classifications, and standards aligned with international best practices.
- Provides technical guidance and capacity-building support to State statistical systems.
Major data products
- National Accounts Statistics (GDP and related aggregates).
- Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
- Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES).
- Annual Survey of Industries (ASI).
- Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
- Consumer Price Index (CPI – Rural, Urban, and Combined).
Organisational structure
- Headed by the Chief Statistician of India (CSI).
- Works through specialised divisions dealing with surveys, national accounts, prices, industrial statistics, and data dissemination.
- Coordinates with State Directorates of Economics and Statistics for field-level data collection.
Significance
- Provides reliable and comparable statistical data for economic planning, fiscal policy, welfare targeting, and monitoring SDGs.
- Enhances transparency and credibility of India’s official statistics ecosystem.
- Plays a critical role in measuring economic performance and social progress.
