Annual Survey of Industries
Annual Survey of Industries {ASI} Scheme
The Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) is the principal source of industrial statistics in India. The Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) is being conducted since 1959 under the Collection of Statistics Act, 1953. From ASI 2010-11, the Survey is being conducted under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008. In accordance with the provisions of the Collection of Statistics (Central) Rules, 2011 framed under this Act, it had been designed to obtain comprehensive and detailed data with the objectives of estimating the contribution of registered manufacturing industries as a whole to the national income by type of industry, systematic study of the structure of the industry by type of industry, occasional analysis of the various factors influencing industries in the Country to facilitate the construction of comprehensive, factual and systematic bases for formulation of policy.
Historical Background
Understanding the importance of collection and compilation of data relating to industrial sector of the country, the Government of India, after 1930, launched a voluntary scheme for collection of detailed data from important industries in India. During the Second World War, in order to cater to the specific requirement of war management, each government department created its own statistical section. In 1942, Industrial Statistics Act was enacted on the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Labour. The Directorate of Industrial Statistics (DIS) under the Ministry of Commerce was setup in 1945 to enforce the Industrial Statistics Act, 1942. The Directorate of Industrial Statistics launched the first Census of Manufacturing Industries (CMI) in 1946 with the objective of studying the structure of the Indian industry and estimating its contribution to the national economy. Because of practical difficulties, the CMI could cover only 29 of the 63 industry groups specified in the Industrial Statistics Act and extended only to 11 States of the Indian Union. It was conducted annually up to 1958. By 1958, the geographical coverage of the CMI extended to 13 States and 2 Union Territories.
Following the recommendation of the National Income Committee (1949), the Directorate of Industrial Statistics conducted the first Sample Survey of Manufacturing Industries (SSMI) in 1949 for collecting data from factories falling under 34 industry groups left out by the CMI and defined under the Factories Act, 1934. The technical work including the survey design, sample selection, and preparation of schedules was undertaken by the Directorate of Industrial Statistics while the tabulation and analysis of data, report writing, etc. was carried out by the Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta. The SSMI was conducted annually up to 1958 by the then Directorate of National Sample Survey now known as National Sample Survey Office (NSSO).
After independence, the Central Statistical Organisaton (CSO) was setup under the Cabinet Secretariat by the Government of India in 1951 as an apex statistical body for coordinating the large variety of data collection by various agencies which was necessitated for adoption of planned economy by the government. In 1956, the Industrial Statistics Act, 1942 was repealed by the Collection of Statistics Act, 1953 and Rules framed thereunder in 1959 regarding the Statistical Authority and procedure for collection of data. Subsequently, the DIS was transferred to the Cabinet Secretariat in 1959 and was attached to the CSO as Industrial Statistics Wing.
The Collection of Statistics (Central) Rules, 1959 framed under the Collection of Statistics Act, 1953 provided a comprehensive Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) in India. The survey replaced both the CMI and SSMI. The ASI was launched in 1960 with 1959 as the reference year and is continuing since then annually except for 1972. The labour part of the ASI Schedule (Part-II), which contained statistics on Absenteeism, Labour Turnover, Earnings, Employment and Labour Costs, was launched with effect from the ASI-1961. During that year, the Schedule was canvassed in respect of both the Census and the Sample Sectors. However, due to non-availability of detailed statistics in respect of the units in the Sample Sector, it was decided to canvass Part-II Schedule only for the Census Sector in subsequent years. The ASI in Sample Sector was, however, reintroduced with effect from ASI 1976-77.
The field survey for the ASI is conducted by the Field Operations Division (FOD) of the NSSO through its network of zonal, regional and sub-regional offices located all over the country. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) is responsible for the processing and dissemination of data collected through Part-I of the ASI Schedule. Labour Bureau, likewise, is responsible for processing and dissemination of data on employment, mandays worked, social security benefits, labour cost and cost of production collected through Block-E of Part-I and; absenteeism, labour turnover and earnings collected through Part-II of the ASI schedule. The Standing Committee on Industrial Statistics provides guidance in this regard and suggests improvements from time to time in the sampling design, sample size, and techniques of data collection, processing and tabulation of data. The Committee has been constituted by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation and is represented by the CSO, NSSO, Labour Bureau, Ministry of Industry, State Governments, Reserve Bank of India, FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM, research institutions, eminent scholars and other central Ministries.
Scope and Coverage
The scope of the ASI is extended to all registered manufacturing establishments in the Country except establishments under the control of the Defense Ministry, Oil storage and distribution units, restaurants and cafes and technical training institutions not producing anything for sale or exchange. The Collection of Statistics Act, 2008, being not applicable to Jammu & Kashmir, factories in that State used to be covered under ASI on a volunteer basis till a similar State Act, called the Jammu & Kashmir Collection of Statistics Act, 1961 was enacted and the Collection of Statistics Rules, 1964 was framed thereunder making thereby the collection of statistics under the ASI also statutory in that State. The geographical coverage of the Annual Survey of Industries, 2012-13 has been extended to the entire country. The estimates for the newly created State of Telangana have also been provided in ASI 2012-13.The coverage of ASI is extended to:
a. All factories registered under sections 2m(i) and 2m(ii) of the Factories Act, 1948 which refer to the establishments using power and employing 10 or more workers and those not using power and employing 20 or more workers on any day of the preceding 12 months, and
b. Bidi and cigar units employing 10 or more workers using power and employing 20 or more workers not using power and registered under the Bidi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966.
Objectives of the ASI
The main objectives of the Annual Survey of Industries (Labour Part) data which the Labour Bureau compiles are:
a. To build a systematic database on Absenteeism; Labour Turnover; Earnings; Employment, and Labour Cost in Manufacturing Industries, and
b. To analyse various components of Labour Costs such as Wage/Salary; Bonus; Provident Funds; Welfare Expenses, etc. in Manufacturing Industries.
Labour Bureau, on its part, compile and disseminate data on Absenteeism, Labour Turnover, Employment, Man-days worked, Labour Cost and Wages and Earning and publishes two volumes viz. (i) Annual Survey of Industries {Volume-I} - Statistics on Employment and Labour Cost (ii) Annual Survey of Industries {Volume-II} – Report on Absenteeism, Labour Turnover, Employment and Labour Cost, which includes the results to both census and sample sector. So far, Labour Bureau has released Reports for ASI 2012-13.