National Family Health Survey: A Landmark in Indian Surveys

What is the rationale for conducting surveys like the National Family Health Survey when there are already available reliable data sets from the census and the sample registration system which provide wellacknowledged data-base for planning and policy making? In this paper a brief examination of the data from the other surveys and their particular limitations precedes an overview of the NFHS, specifically designed to provide the information that social scientists need, and the nature and quality of the data it has generated.