MoSPI Pushes National Drive to Harmonise Administrative Data

The February consultation brought together senior officials from Central Ministries, States and UTs, international development institutions, think tanks and technology partners.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has launched a nationwide push to transform how government data is used for governance, convening a National Level Consultative Workshop at Vigyan Bhawan to accelerate harmonisation of administrative data across States and Union Territories.

The workshop — titled “Using Administrative Data for Governance: Harmonizing Departmental Data at State Level” — forms part of the preparatory process for a National-Level Deliberative Summit, “Data for Development,” scheduled for April 2026.

The initiative follows up on directions emerging from the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries held in December 2025 and seeks to build a structured national reform agenda for interoperable, AI-ready and responsibly shared administrative data systems.

Building a National Data Reform Roadmap

The February consultation brought together senior officials from Central Ministries, States and UTs, international development institutions, think tanks and technology partners.

Its immediate objective was to brief States and UTs on the scope and key themes for internal State-level workshops to be conducted in the coming weeks. Insights from those consultations will feed into the April 2026 National Summit, where priority reform areas will be finalised.

The reform agenda focuses on:

• Breaking departmental data silos

• Harmonising datasets using common standards

• Strengthening data quality and interoperability

• Enabling secure and responsible data sharing

• Building AI-ready administrative data ecosystems

MoSPI aims to move from fragmented, department-specific databases to a unified, linkable-by-design architecture that strengthens evidence-based decision-making.

Data as National Infrastructure

In the inaugural session, Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), stressed the urgency of dismantling data silos and expanding accessibility beyond centralised systems.

He called for improved machine readability, real-time analytics, and interoperable systems that empower State, district and field-level administrators.

“Interoperability and responsible data sharing will strengthen evidence-based governance,” he said, highlighting the need for real-time monitoring tools to improve programme implementation outcomes.

Entering the ‘Era of Intelligence’

Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow at NITI Aayog, framed the reforms within a broader global transition from efficiency-driven globalisation to what she termed an “era of intelligence.”

She emphasised that the real power of intelligence lies in its democratisation — ensuring data is accessible, trusted and actionable at the grassroots level.

“Accessibility, interoperability and trust are essential to enable real-time decision-making,” she said, noting that data must evolve from passive records into dynamic governance tools.

Data at the Core of the AI Revolution

Mr. Thomas Danielwitz, Senior Economist at the World Bank, described administrative data as foundational infrastructure for the AI revolution.

He highlighted the importance of integrating decentralised digital datasets to reduce compliance burdens for citizens and businesses, improve service delivery efficiency, and generate cost savings across public systems.

Seamless integration, he noted, can simplify citizen interactions with government while strengthening analytical capabilities for policymakers.

Institutionalising Data-Driven Governance

Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI and Director General (Data Governance), reiterated the Prime Minister’s vision of transforming civil servants into “data enthusiasts.”

He underscored the importance of using data actively rather than allowing it to remain siloed within departments.

States were urged to conduct district- and State-level workshops to widen consultations and embed data-driven governance practices institutionally.

In his welcome address, Shri P. R. Meshram, Director General (Data Governance), described administrative data as a strategic national asset and called for a shift toward harmonised, interoperable and securely linked ecosystems.

Practical Solutions and State-Level Use Cases

The day-long workshop featured four thematic sessions covering legal, institutional and technical dimensions of administrative data integration.

Experts and practitioners from institutions including CEGIS, Ek Step, Microsoft and Bharat Digital, alongside senior officers from Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, showcased successful use cases demonstrating how routine administrative data can generate actionable policy insights.

Discussions focused on:

• Improving data quality and standardisation

• Designing institutional architectures for data integration

• Operationalising lawful and ethical data linkage

• Developing uniform identifiers and standards

• Building AI-ready data foundations

Particular emphasis was placed on making data “linkable by design” to ensure long-term scalability and interoperability.

Timelines Set for April 2026 National Summit

The workshop concluded with defined milestones leading to the April 2026 National Summit, where reform priorities will be consolidated into a national roadmap.

The deliberations reaffirmed a collective commitment to creating interoperable, AI-ready and securely linkable data systems capable of strengthening governance, improving public service delivery and enabling smarter policy decisions.

As India accelerates digital transformation across sectors, MoSPI’s initiative signals a decisive shift toward treating administrative data not as isolated records, but as strategic infrastructure for development.