Urban mapping partnership: The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to facilitate the Urban Frame Survey (UFS) using advanced Geo ICT tools and Bhuvan Platform.

The MoU, signed by Subash Chandra Malik, Additional Director General, NSSO, MoSPI, and Srinivasa Rao S, Deputy Director, BGWSA, NRSC, in the presence of dignitaries including Prakash Chauhan and K Vinod Kumar from NRSC, marks a significant step towards conducting UFS digitally. 

The UFS, conducted in five-year phases, aims to establish and maintain a frame of compact urban geographical units, serving as a sampling frame for NSSO's large-scale Socio-Economic Surveys.

Digital advancement plans

During Phase 2017-22, UFS transitioned to a digital format for the first time using the Bhuvan platform, covering over 5300 towns. In the current phase (2022 – 2027), the survey aims to encompass around 8134 towns, employing enhanced versions of Mobile, Desktop, and Web-Based GIS solutions on the Bhuvan Platform.

The MoU entails the development and enhancement of a mobile application for Geo-tagging NSSO Urban Frame Survey data, a web portal for visualisation and data scrutiny, a QGIS plug-in for accessing captured polygons, and the refinement of Block, IV-unit, Ward, and Town boundaries using High-Resolution Satellite Imagery. Additionally, NRSC will conduct capacity-building sessions for NSSO officials.

This collaboration signifies a shift from analogue to digital mode in conducting UFS, enabling MoSPI to efficiently update the Urban Frame regularly and achieve its targets in a timely manner.