In respect of prescribing any information schedule for collection of statistics on any subject, the appropriate Government or a statistics officer, as the case may be, shall satisfy itself that –
(i) it has authority to direct collection of statistics on the subject under the Act subject to the restrictions given in the proviso to section 3 of the Act;
(ii) it has, for the purpose of finalising items on which information is to be collected, consulted the nodal officer to include the requirements of other Government Departments;
(iii) excessive demands would not be placed on the informants by making the direction and for the purpose field testing of information schedules has been carried out where necessary;
(iv) the range and detail in the information schedules specified for collection of statistics on any subject shall be limited to what is absolutely necessary;
(v) the reporting burden shall be spread as widely as possible over informant populations through appropriate sampling;
(vi) the information sought from business shall, as far as possible, be readily available from their accounts and electronic means are used where possible to facilitate their collection;
(vii) best estimates and approximations on any item of information sought shall be accepted when exact details are not readily available with any informant;
(viii) each information schedule used for collecting statistics from any informant has, where necessary, a provision for particulars on which information may be furnished at the discretion of the informant;
(ix) provision is made in each information schedule for filling up the details and appending the signature of the person concerned who would be engaged in the collection of statistics;
(x) indicate in each information schedule, for general information of informants prior to collection of statistics from them under the Act, its plan, if any, to disclose any information collected from them which in the opinion of the appropriate Government is otherwise available to the public under any other Act or as a public document or which is in the form of an index or list of the names and addresses of informants together with the classification, if any, allotted to them and the number of persons engaged; and 5
(xi) make a provision in each information schedule to obtain written consent from each informant whose information other than the information covered in clause (x), it proposes to disclose.