The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is responsible for conducting sample surveys on various socio-economic subjects on All India basis. The reports of these surveys alongwith their findings are available publicly on the website of MoSPI and give estimates of important indicators such as health, education, labour force, and economic planning, etc both at the national level and the State/UT level. The surveys of MoSPI are conducted under Capacity Development (CD) Scheme of MoSPI and the total Budget Estimates (BE) for FY 2024-25 in various Object Heads under CD Scheme in National Sample Survey (NSS), MoSPI is Rs. 39761.30 Lacs.

NSO, MoSPI has been conducting Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) since 2017 to estimate various indicators related to employment and unemployment situation in the country. PLFS gives estimates of key employment and unemployment Indicators like the Labour Force Participation Rates (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Unemployment Rate (UR), etc.MoSPI is committed to ensuring that accurate and reliable employment statistics are brought out from PLFS. To achieve this, robust and well-defined mechanisms are employed which undergo periodic improvements based on evolving needs, feedback and advancements in methodologies to enhance their effectiveness. The primary data collection is being done in digital platform using Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) or web-based application with in-built validation mechanism to ensure consistency at the stage of data collection. It enhances the efficiency of data collection by enabling real-time data entry and validation through handheld devices, significantly reducing manual errors. Moreover, it facilitates the real-time submission of survey data by field officials, ensuring timely and accurate data transmission. A robust training mechanism is followed to address the conceptual queries and monitoring the data quality. The survey methodology of PLFS is developed under the supervision of the National Statistical Commission (NSC). The findings of the survey are also brought out under the supervision of National Statistical Commission. The concepts and definitions in the surveys of MoSPI are formulated conforming to various standards. Further, various facets of internationally accepted standards on labour statistics are studied in MoSPI to assess their applicability and relevance in the country context.

Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), in coordination with around 70 Ministries/departments, has developed an Output Outcome Monitoring Framework (OOMF) for Central Sector (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS). The objective of this framework is to strengthen the outcome based monitoring of performance of the schemes against their targets. Additionally, DMEO has developed an online dashboard wherein the targets are captured, and periodic progress is updated by respective Ministry/department. This enables all stakeholders to monitor the performance of schemes. Since its inception in September 2015, DMEO, NITI Aayog, has completed 153 evaluation studies. The final evaluation reports, along with the recommendations/suggestions, were shared with the respective administrative/line Ministries/Departments, and also with the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. These recommendations/suggestions and the actions taken are reflected in the EFC/SFC notes prepared by the Ministries/Departments when these schemes come up for renewal.

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

Real time data collection strengthened through digital surveys and monitoring dashboards to improve employment statistics accuracy. Budgetary support strengthens Real Time Data Collection for NSO surveys under the Capacity Development Scheme. PLFS uses CAPI and web applications with in built validation, real time submission, and structured training; methodology and findings are supervised by the National Statistical Commission and aligned with international labour statistics standards. DMEO's Output Outcome Monitoring Framework and an online dashboard capture scheme targets and progress, with evaluation reports and recommendations shared with ministries and the Department of Expenditure to inform scheme renewals.