9,800 households in Pune region to be surveyed under first national income survey

Around 9,800 households in the nine districts under thePuneRegional Office of the National Statistics Office will be surveyed for India’s first ever National Household Income Survey (NHIS), set to begin in April.

This is the first time the country is conducting a pan-India income estimate survey, with previous surveys like Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) focusing on household expenditure.

The nine districts under thePuneRegional Office are Pune, Ratnagiri, Solapur, Sangli, Satara, Dharashiv, Kolapur, Ahilyanagar, and Sindhudhurg.

Data will be collected from approximately 9,800 households from about 488 FSU’s (First Stage Units) from these districts, informed Dr Ruhi Kulkarni, Joint Director and Regional Head, NSO (Field Operations Division).

Both rural and urban households will be included in this survey, which will be conducted over a year.

Dr Kulkarni told TheIndian Express, “Current poverty line estimates are calculated based on the household consumption expenditure data.

Since expenditure is not the proper measure of the economic well being of a household, we want to just measure what is the standard of living of these households, which households are economically vulnerable, how social welfare schemes are benefiting them, and how these schemes can be modified to reach more needy people.

For these kinds of insights, we need income data.”
The survey will capture income from multiple sources such as wages, self-employment, agriculture, business, pensions, and transfers, enabling a deeper understanding of income dynamics, disparities, and economic well-being across socio-economic groups.

Household information such as demographic characteristics, education status, and employment status will also be captured.

A two-day Regional Training Conference (RTC) for the survey commenced at the Pune office on March 16.

The training focused on building technical competence and field readiness among the supervisory and field staff for NHIS 2026.

Participants were oriented on various aspects of data collection using Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) technology, adherence to confidentiality norms, and effective communication with respondents to ensure accuracy and cooperation in the field.

The NSO has appealed to all citizens to extend full cooperation to field officers collecting data for this national survey.

“We see that in gated societies in urban areas, we are sometimes not even given entry into the building.

We appeal to the general public to cooperate as it is a contribution in nation building from their side.

If people are approached by our officers, they can check their identity cards to verify the authenticity,” added Dr Kulkarni.“Since it is very sensitive information, we are committed to the confidentiality of data.

This data will not be shared with any of the department or any of the agencies apart from the statistical purposes for this ministry only.

However, there might be some reservation or resistance for sharing the income related information.

So, only in the urban areas, we will be providing the option that the concerned household can give their information in our paper schedule formats in a sealed envelope.

This will be opened only in our office and the data will be entered in the software,” she assured.

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune.

A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.

Professional Background
Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.

Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.

Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:
1.

Investigations & Governance
"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.

"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.

2.

Education & Campus Life
Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.

"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.

"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.

3.

Human Rights & Social Issues
"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.

"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.

Signature Style
Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens.

His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions).

He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.

X (Twitter): @SohamShah07...

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