Ministry of Statistics to Conduct AIDIS & SAS (2026–27)

Why in News?

• On September 11, 2025, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) announced that two major surveys —

  1. All-India Debt and Investment Survey (AIDIS), and

  2. Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households
     — will be conducted between July 2026 and June 2027.

• Draft concept notes and schedules have been uploaded for public feedback.

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About the Surveys

1. All-India Debt and Investment Survey (AIDIS)

• First launched in 1951.

• Conducted as part of the NSSO rounds (National Sample Survey Office).

• Coverage: Rural + Urban households.

• Purpose:

  • Data on indebtedness, assets, and investment patterns of households.

  • Assesses inequality in asset distribution.

  • Provides inputs for national accounts, credit market studies, monetary policy (RBI).

• Last conducted: 2019 (77th Round of NSS).

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2. Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households

• First launched in 2003 (part of NSS 59th round).

• Coverage: Agricultural households (own land + engage in farming).

• Purpose:

  • Data on income, expenditure, indebtedness, and access to credit.

  • Land & livestock ownership.

  • Crop & livestock production.

  • Farming practices, technology use.

  • Access to government schemes, crop insurance.

• Used by Ministry of Agriculture, NITI Aayog, researchers, financial institutions.

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Importance for Policy

1. For RBI & Financial Institutions:

   • Helps assess credit penetration, household debt sustainability, and savings-investment patterns.

2. For Agriculture & Rural Development:

   • Identifies income sources & vulnerabilities of farmers.

   • Helps design crop insurance, loan waivers, subsidy targeting.

3. For Social Justice:

   • Provides data on inequality, poverty, and financial inclusion.

4. For Evidence-based Policy:

   • Aligns with SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 8 (Decent Work), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

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UPSC Syllabus Mapping

• Prelims:

  • Economy – surveys & indices by MoSPI/NSSO.

  • Government data collection mechanisms.

• GS Paper II (Governance):

  • Role of government surveys in policy formulation.

• GS Paper III (Economy & Agriculture):

  • Agriculture: farm incomes, credit, insurance.

  • Indian economy: savings, investment, indebtedness.

  • Inclusive growth & financial inclusion.

• Essay: “Data is the backbone of democracy and good governance.”

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Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

1. UPSC Prelims 2019:

   • Q. The money multiplier in an economy increases with which one of the following?
     (Relates to credit availability → linked to AIDIS findings).

2. UPSC Mains GS III 2020:

   • Q. What do you understand by Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How will MSP rescue the farmers from low income traps?
     (SAS provides real data on farmer incomes & indebtedness).

3. UPSC Mains GS III 2021:

   • Q. What are the main bottlenecks in upstream and downstream process of marketing of agricultural products in India?
     (SAS data → technology use, scheme access).

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Challenges in Conducting Such Surveys

• Large sample size & cost (national coverage).

• Delayed data release (policy decisions often outdated by publication).

• Household under-reporting (esp. debt, informal borrowing).

• Mismatch between NSS data & administrative data (e.g., bank loan records vs. survey responses).

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Way Forward

1. Timely publication to ensure policy relevance.

2. Integration with digital platforms (Jan Dhan, PM-KISAN databases).

3. Greater transparency – public feedback before finalising survey schedules.

4. Periodic frequency – conduct every 3–5 years for consistency.

5. Awareness – farmers must know surveys are for policy, not taxation.

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✅ Takeaway for UPSC Answers:
Whenever asked about farm distress, credit markets, or inequality in India, you can quote:

• AIDIS → household debt, investment, asset distribution.

• SAS → farmers’ income, expenditure, technology use.