statistical programs: After going through flak for delayed experiences, panel more likely to tackle knowledge high quality considerations

The choice to arrange an skilled committee to look into all the problems associated to knowledge was taken at a overview assembly held by the Prime Minister’s Workplace (PMO) in February, folks acquainted with the deliberations informed ET.

“The committee is more likely to discover options for addressing recurring considerations over knowledge high quality,” one of many individuals mentioned. “PMO additionally favoured a tech improve of your complete system,” the individual mentioned.

The event comes as India begins its four-year time period as a United Nations Statistical Fee member this yr, which is able to resolve on a brand new system of nationwide accounts in 2025 to find out a brand new gross home product (GDP) methodology and a revised system for the calculation of environmental accounts.

India’s statistics have come underneath criticism from a number of quarters over high quality points and lag in releases. A paper revealed by the prime minister’s financial advisory committee final yr had criticised the Nationwide Pattern Surveys, that are used for estimating poverty and unemployment, for having knowledge high quality points. “Given the significance of information in framing insurance policies, ample consideration have to be paid to knowledge high quality. In any other case, there’s a risk of misguided insurance policies which are based mostly on biased estimates, which could not replicate society’s true adjustments or progress,” the paper mentioned.

Worldwide suppose tank Carnegie Endowment for Worldwide Peace, too, in a paper revealed final yr had criticised the Indian statistics ministry for its lack of reforms and argued for organising a reform fee. “The event of the statistical system remained stunted, impacting the credibility of information releases,” it famous. The February assembly known as by the PMO was attended by all central and autonomous our bodies involved with the compilation and utilization of statistics.

Mails despatched to the PMO didn’t elicit any response until the time of publication of the article.