MoSPI aims to improve statistical system in India with help of NCAER

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) Tuesday said it has signed a pact with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) to improve the official statistical system in the country. MoSPI and NCAER have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to use new data technologies, knowledge generation and knowledge sharing, and capacity building, in official statistics, a ministry statement said.

According to the statement, the MoU was signed here on Tuesday in the presence of MoSPI Secretary Pravin Srivastava, who is also the chief statistician of India; Central Statistics Office Director-General Jyotirmoy Poddar; NCAER Director-General Shekhar Shah; and other senior officers of both the organisations. The MoU would lead to strengthening and better monitoring of data quality and timeliness of various statistical products and services generated by the ministry including, gross domestic product, economic census, price statistics, Index of Industrial Production, and Annual Survey of Industries, among others.

The key activities envisaged under the MoU are business process review of the existing official statistics system and development of an information and communication technology (ICT) plan for main-streaming data integration across various domains and agencies. Under the pact, both organisations would use technology for survey instruments and processing of data for large-scale surveys and data analytics.

They will create a national data warehouse to integrate administrative statistical data sets available up to the local government level. They will leverage administrative data to improve the quality and coverage of core statistics with technical support and collaboration with data producers.

They will also set up common standards and protocols for data collection, its quality, meta-data and use across line ministries and sub-national entities. Development of a new ICT-based framework for measurement of social and economic indicators in the emerging knowledge-based economy is also covered under the MoU. Besides, there will be capacity building for statistical activities, including big data analytics and technical reporting.

(With inputs from agencies.)