National Sample Surveys Organization (NSSO) conducts multi-subject integrated sample surveys across India. The surveys are conducted in successive rounds within an interval of 5 – 10 years on various aspects such as; social, economic, demographic, industrial, and agricultural. The subjects covered in a particular round are usually not repeated in successive rounds. Thus a time series data is created for each subject of study. The subjects included in NSSO Surveys can be broadly categorized as:

Consumer Expenditure:  Household survey rounds on consumption expenditure include information on the quantity and value of consumption of various food and non-food items and their break-up by commodity, Nutritional Intake, Adequacy of Food, Use of Durable Goods, and Consumption from the Public Distribution System. It also collects information on some additional aspects that determine living conditions such as; Structure, area, and occupancy status of the dwelling units (viz., owned/ hired/ otherwise possessed), Energy Used for Cooking and Lighting, and Land holdings (rural households only).

Household Wealth / Finance: These survey rounds obtain data on Household Assets and Liabilities; Household Indebtedness; Household Borrowings and Repayments; Household Capital Expenditure; Common Property Resources; etc.

Employment-Unemployment and Migration:
NSSO collects information on various facets of employment and unemployment in India such as; employment variations by age, sex and states; employment & unemployment rates among different religious groups; Joblessness among social groups, cities, and towns of India.  The surveys also include information on participation of Indian women in household work and other specific activities; non-agricultural workers employed in the informal sector, and reasons for migration.

Health & hygiene:
These surveys draw information on disabled persons in India; morbidity rates, and treatment of ailments; health care facilities for women, children and the aged; availability of drinking water, hygiene and sanitation facilities; housing situations, conditions of urban slums in India; etc.

Education:
Education surveys provide information on literacy and levels of education; status of education and vocational training; economic activities and school attendance of children; etc.

Unorganized economic enterprises:
These survey rounds include information on non-agricultural enterprises in the informal sector. It provides data on various operational characteristics of enterprises such as; location of enterprise, nature of operation, maintenance of accounts, estimates of employment, assets & borrowings, input, output & value added of unorganized manufacturing enterprises. These data sets are collected at all India level for different industry groups and at the state / UT level for all the industry groups taken together.

Land Holdings, Livestock Holdings and other agrarian issues:
NSSO collects data on household ownership rates; agricultural seasonal variation and other aspects; consumption patterns of farming households; access to modern technology in farming; income, expenditure, and productive assets; certain farming aspects; cultivation of selected crops; livestock ownership, etc.

Besides regular socio-economic surveys, NSSO also undertakes pilot enquiries and ad-hoc or special surveys from time to time. Such surveys are conducted either for methodological studies or on the basis of specific requests received for such surveys, from other agencies. Some of the latest pilot surveys or other special surveys undertaken by NSSO are as follows.
•    Drug Abuse Survey - (Feb 2010 - May 2010)
•    NREGA Survey - (July 2009 – June 2011)
•    Baseline Survey on Well-being of Children and Women in collaboration with UNICEF - (March  – May, 2005)
•    Pilot Survey on Non-Profit Institution Serving Household - (July 2004 – June 2005)
•    Pilot Survey on Food Security for World Food Programme - (September 2003- February 2004)
•    Situation Assessment Survey of Farmers – ( January 2003 – December 2003)
•    Pilot Survey on Suitability of different reference periods for measuring household consumption - (January 2000 – June 2000)

Data Source:
Unit level data on various survey rounds can be obtained from the Deputy Director General, Computer Centre, M/O Statistics and PI, East Block No. 10 R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066 in the CD-ROMS by remitting the price along with packaging and postal charges as well as giving an undertaking duly signed in a specified format. For rate list and other details, please click on the link mentioned below.