The provisional socio-economic data for Rural India has been released. The survey has been completed in all the 640 districts. It is provisional as the final lists are being uploaded in some districts after addressing all the objections received. It is being released as its use in evidence based planning for rural development and poverty reduction needs to be undertaken immediately. It provides very useful data on households regarding various aspects of their socio-economic status – housing, land-holding/landlessness, educational status, status of women, the differently able, occupation, possession of assets, SC/ST households, incomes, etc. SECC provided for automatic exclusion on the basis of 14 parameters, automatic inclusion on the basis of 5 parameters and grading of deprivation on the basis of seven criteria. The data addresses the multi dimensionality of poverty and provides a unique opportunity for a convergent, evidence based planning with a Gram Panchayat as a unit. The data is an opportunity to make evidence based selection, prioritization and targeting of beneficiaries in different programmes.