Sample Registration System
Also called: SRS · Topic: Population of India: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Sample Registration System (SRS) is a large survey run by the Registrar General of India. It has worked at full scale since about 1969-70. A census comes only once in 10 years, so the SRS fills the gap. It gives yearly figures for each state on birth rate, death rate, infant mortality rate (baby deaths before age one), fertility and maternal mortality ratio (mothers who die from pregnancy or childbirth). This yearly data lets planners track health and population trends without waiting for the next census.
Example
India's infant mortality rate of 25 in 2023 comes from the SRS. So does the very low figure of 5 for Kerala, the state on the south-western Malabar coast (verify current).
Don't confuse with
- Census of India: counts every person once in 10 years. The SRS checks only a sample of areas, but it does so every year.
- National Family Health Survey (NFHS): run by the Health Ministry, with IIPS Mumbai as the nodal agency. It is the source for TFR (2.0 in NFHS-5, 2019-21). The SRS is the main yearly source for birth, death, IMR and MMR figures.