NITI Aayog Member VK Paul Criticizes Study Claiming 11.8 Lakh Excess Deaths During Covid-19 Pandemic

NITI Aayog member VK Paul has labeled a study claiming 11.8 lakh excess deaths in India during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic as 'outrageous' and methodologically flawed. He argued it was based on limited data and extrapolation, not reflective of the entire nation.

NITI Aayog member VK Paul dismissed a study that claims 11.8 lakh excess deaths occurred in India during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, calling the findings 'outrageous.' The study, according to Paul, is based on a limited dataset and heavy extrapolation, rendering it unreflective of the entire nation.

'The problem with this survey is that it covered only 14 states and Union Territories during the pandemic,' Paul told ANI on Saturday. 'They used a small sample over a short duration and applied it across the nation, resulting in unacceptable and untenable numbers.'

Paul emphasized that the government believes the study was 'poorly conducted,' leading to misleading results. He stated that the actual excess mortality is much lower than claimed. 'Excess mortality, even in our own system, amounts to 4.74 lakh, and not all of it is due to COVID-19,' he said.

Paul noted that the UK researchers' methodology, which extrapolated data from ongoing surveys, was methodologically incorrect. 'The reported 12 lakh figure is misleading and not aligned with our robust Civil Registration System (CRS), which captures over 99% of deaths,' he added.

According to a Ministry of Health and Family Welfare release, the study's claim of weak vital registration systems in India is far from correct. The CRS data shows increased death registrations, but these cannot be solely attributed to the pandemic.

In summary, Paul stated that the study's findings should not be accepted and stressed that the actual excess mortality is notably lower.