Inaugural National Household Travel Survey to be conducted in 2025
What's the story
The Indian government is preparing to conduct its inaugural National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) in 2025. This initiative will be part of the 80th round of National Sample Surveys (NSS), as reported by Moneycontrol. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation will spearhead this survey from July 2025, with a focus on documenting the diverse transportation methods used by citizens across the country.
Data utilization
Survey's data to aid in railway coach production
The Ministry of Railways has requested this survey, intending to utilize the gathered data for determining coach production. The NHTS aims to monitor individuals from various income brackets and their preferred transportation modes. Specifically related to railways, it will also identify the service category chosen by passengers. An anonymous source described this as a "first of a kind survey that is being conducted."
Additional surveys
Ministry to conduct health and tourism expenditure surveys too
Alongside the NHTS, the ministry will also conduct a health survey from January 2025, and a Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey from July 2025. The upcoming health survey is an extension of the 79th round conducted by the ministry, which covered only a few health topics. However, this round is tipped to be more comprehensive. The Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey was initially scheduled for 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has now been resumed.