Data reliability: Lessons from the 75-year-old National Sample Survey
1 day, 5 hours ago

Data reliability: Lessons from the 75-year-old National Sample Survey

Live Mint  

At an event to commemorate 50 years of the National Sample Survey in 2001, the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee noted that these surveys had contributed “invaluable raw material" to India’s development plans, even though their contribution was often “unseen and unhonoured." “It is not often recognized that behind every piece of statistical information lies the dedicated work of hundreds of NSS investigators who have conducted painstaking surveys and interviews, often in remote areas," he said. The 1999-2000 NSS consumption expenditure survey suggested that poverty had declined sharply compared to the mid-90s, Vajpayee pointed out. The third lesson pertains to the limits of a centralized model of data collection: While the success of NSS spawned similar experiments globally, no Indian state was able to build a survey organization of similar standing.

India Data Indian State Led Isi Vajpayee Nsso National Sample Survey Nss Survey  75yearold  statistical  sample  19992000  nss  survey  early  experiments  state  reliability  national  lessons  led  data

History of this topic

India’s draft policy on official statistics misses the mark
1 year, 4 months ago

India’s draft policy on official statistics misses the mark

Live Mint  

At a time when India’s statistical system is facing growing questions from within and outside the government, the statistics ministry has published a revised draft policy on official statistics. The 2018 draft policy raised hopes that Mospi was serious about addressing India’s statistical challenges. However, the draft policy goes on to say that the use of administrative data would minimize …

What the debate on NSS population counts missed out
1 year, 4 months ago

What the debate on NSS population counts missed out

Live Mint  

One of independent India’s early achievements was to set up a large-scale household survey system. An under-estimation of our urban population in NSS surveys has consistently figured in NSC meetings ever since it was set up, official records show. “The listing of households done by the census authorities and that, if any, done subsequently by local authorities is not available …

The professor who taught the world the art of sampling
2 years, 6 months ago

The professor who taught the world the art of sampling

Live Mint  

In the summer of 1946, at the ‘nuclear’ session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, a representative of a British colony made an impassioned plea for laying down globally accepted standards for conducting large-scale sample surveys. Mahalanobis’s suggestion was accepted, and given his unique experience in conducting such surveys at the Indian Statistical Institute, he was asked to chair the …

Reliable data, good policy
3 years, 1 month ago

Reliable data, good policy

The Hindu  

When evidence-based policymaking becomes the cornerstone of good governance, it is difficult to overstate the importance of reliable and timely public data. Among the emerging economies, India is credited to have a relatively robust public data system generated through its decennial Census and yearly sample surveys on specific themes. The MHCE provides the data base to compute the weightage assigned …

Minding the gaps in India’s data infrastructure
5 years, 2 months ago

Minding the gaps in India’s data infrastructure

The Hindu  

Last week, demographers from around the world gathered in Delhi to mark 25 years of National Family Health Surveys. Can India’s existing data infrastructure support high quality data collection or are we staring at a precipice where deteriorating data quality will lead evidence-based policy development astray? Presentations by Dr. Amy Tsui, Professor at Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Santanu Pramanik, …

Economic Survey suggests merging of different datasets held by govt
5 years, 6 months ago

Economic Survey suggests merging of different datasets held by govt

The Hindu  

The government needs to view data as a public good and make necessary investment, particularly in social sectors, to enhance ease of living for citizens, improve targeting in welfare schemes and uncover unmet needs, as per the Economic Survey 2018-19. The Survey stated that given that sophisticated technologies already existed to protect and share confidential information, data could be created …

India must strengthen the credibility of its national statistical system
5 years, 6 months ago

India must strengthen the credibility of its national statistical system

Hindustan Times  

A major challenge before the new government coming with a massive national mandate is to establish the dignity and credibility of national institutions. With the goals of achieving rapid economic growth, equity and employment generation, it would be important that the people accept the information coming out of the National Statistical Organisation, a new institution proposed by the Ministry of …

India’s data-driven governance regime is not foolproof
5 years, 9 months ago

India’s data-driven governance regime is not foolproof

Hindustan Times  

The ongoing controversy over the credibility and objectivity of India’s statistical system is one of the most damaging legacies of this out-going government. This new regime relies largely on administrative data, which is routinely collected by government departments to track and monitor the progress of schemes and is increasingly beginning to shape day-to-day administration. Economists Abhijit Banerjee and Shrayana Bhattacharya …

A short history of data
5 years, 9 months ago

A short history of data

The Hindu  

Over the past two months, Indian national statistics and the organisations that administer them have faced a volley of criticism. The famed English statistician R.A. Fischer observed that its achievements “brought India not far from the centre of statistical map of the world.” The Institute’s fingerprints were readily apparent in the creation of India’s National Income Committee, the Central Statistical …

Govt committed to maintain credibility of statistical organisations; NSSO employment data to be released by month-end: Official
5 years, 9 months ago

Govt committed to maintain credibility of statistical organisations; NSSO employment data to be released by month-end: Official

Firstpost  

The senior government official’s comments come against the backdrop of as many as 108 economists and social scientists alleged “political interference” in statistical data New Delhi: The government is committed to maintaining the credibility of statistical organisations and the NSSO employment data would be released by month-end, a senior official said Monday as he dismissed concerns about alleged political interference …

108 Experts Concerned Over Political Interference in Economic Data
5 years, 9 months ago

108 Experts Concerned Over Political Interference in Economic Data

The Quint  

Expressing concerns over "political interference" in statistical data in India, as many as 108 economists and social scientists on Thursday, 14 March, called for restoration of "institutional independence" and integrity of statistical organisations. They said that for decades, India's statistical machinery enjoyed a high-level of reputation for the integrity of the data it produced on a range of economic and …

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