India's Data Blackout: No Data Means No Accountability
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In any democracy, it is critical for the government to collect data in a timely and accurate manner. No data means no accountability.
In response to several questions raised by MPs in parliament, the government has claimed that it does not have data. This includes data on the number of deaths due to lack of oxygen during COVID-19, paper leaks in competitive examinations like NEET, data on the losses caused due to natural calamities and the reasons for farmer suicides.
Census
The decennial Census, which was conducted in India without a break for 150 years, has not been held since 2011. The Census due in 2021 was delayed citing the COVID-19 pandemic, even as large political rallies and religious congregations were allowed to take place. The Indian government has finally announced that the next population Census will be conducted in 2027.
The Census is not just an academic exercise; it has serious implications for policymaking. Not conducting the census directly impacts the lives of millions of people, especially those living at the margins. For instance, as per the National Food Security Act, the number of people to be given ration cards is determined on the basis of the latest census. Estimates suggest that more than 10 crore people have been left out of the ambit of the food security net due to the 2021 Census not being conducted. The absence of updated census figures also fuels misinformation and disinformation in society. It is impossible to verify the authenticity of claims made for political gains about the disproportionate increase in population of religious minorities, improvement in sex ratio etc.
Covid deaths
Even in cases where data has been collected, there have been very serious concerns about its accuracy. A huge controversy engulfed the data on the number of deaths in the country during COVID. While the government reported only five lakh COVID deaths, independent estimates, including from the World Health Organieation (WHO), placed the figure at over 40 lakh. The government recently released the data for the 2021 Civil Registration System after a lag of nearly four years. The data shows that the excess deaths in 2021 alone were around 21 lakh – suggesting that a figure of around 40 lakh COVID related deaths due to the pandemic is entirely plausible.
Missing data
The NSO's Consumer Expenditure Survey of 2017-18 was junked. The leaked findings of the survey showed that consumer spending fell for the first time in four decades and consumption declined, indicating an increase in poverty.
A report by IndiaSpend showed that at the end of 2024, 16 critical datasets were delayed and nine ministries had not released their annual reports. Among the delayed datasets were the 'Crime in India' report, which provides crucial information on crime statistics including figures on cybercrimes, crimes against women and children, and the 'All India Survey on Higher Education'. Both were last published in 2022.
Shooting the messenger?
Recently, the Union government dissolved the Standing Committee on Statistics headed by Dr Pronab Sen, former Chief Statistician of India. As per reports, members of the committee had repeatedly raised concerns in the meetings over the delay in conducting the Census. The findings of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) showed an increase in the number of women with anaemia and the persistence of open defecation in the country, contrary to claims of the government. In 2023, the director of the institute responsible for preparing the NFHS was removed.
The politics of data
The Modi government appears to be extremely wary of data. Availability of objective data empowers people to question the government's functioning and query the propaganda and claims made by those in power. Data enables critical citizens' engagement and ensures accountability of those who govern. A government interested primarily in perception management is seldom inclined to put in place an effective data regime.
Watch ' India's Data Blackout- From Census to Covid Deaths | Jaanne Bhi Do Yaaro ', where Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst joins Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri discuss what's happening to crucial data in the country.
Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri are social activists working on issues of transparency and accountability. Sindhu Koshy is a public-spirited communications professional based in Trivandrum.
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