Using the Indian National Sample Survey data in public health research.

The National Sample Survey (NSS), instituted in 1950, was the brainchild of Professor Mahalanobis, widely regarded as the father of Indian statistics.1 His ambition was to obtain and quantify comprehensive information on an annual basis on the socio- economic, demographic, agricultural and other profiles of the country, both at the national and state levels. The NSS is a multi- stage, multi-subject and multi-purpose cross-sectional survey, which is conducted annually and covers topics of current interest.