Latest news with #19thStatisticsDay
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Need to address statistical issues in entrance, recruitment exams: NSC Chairman to government
The government has been called on to form a comprehensive policy on certain statistical issues related to entrance and recruitment exams by Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar, Chairman of the National Statistical Commission (NSC), who argued on Sunday that different agencies conducting their own exams have their own methods that can lead to dissatisfaction among candidates and legal proceedings. Speaking at the 19th Statistics Day organised by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Karandikar said statistical issues such as negative marking and normalisation of marks in examinations that are being conducted online and see lakhs of candidates should be addressed 'appropriately'. 'The fact that when such a large number (of candidates) appear (for exams), we don't have computer systems which simultaneously 27 lakh candidates can write,' Karandikar said, referring to an earlier recruitment exam held by the railways. 'So we have parallel exams, or exams in phases, different question papers. Then the question comes: how do we compare them? This is a strictly statistical question.' 'Somehow, each agency goes on its own way to define the policy: there is a question of negative marking, normalisation. And each agency declares its own formula which is different. That leads to dissatisfaction, especially from the candidates that don't make it, some of them making it to the court system,' the NSC Chairman added. In 2019, Karandikar was part of an expert committee constituted by the Supreme Court to suggest ways to deal with fraud in online examinations. The committee – led by retired Supreme Court justice GS Singhvi – was formed after the alleged leak of the Staff Selection Commission's Combined Graduate Level 2017 question papers, which led to massive protests. On Sunday, Karandikar said the expert committee had written a report just before COVID 'and perhaps that report is lying somewhere'. 'The point is that normalisation and negative marking, both are statistical questions. And perhaps – which body in government, I don't know, because there are multiple stakeholders – comprehensive effort should be made to create one group which gives thought to all this, brings in all the stakeholders, and comes out with one policy,' Karandikar added. 'Precision policymaking' Moderating a panel discussion at the Statistics Day event – held to commemorate the birth anniversary of famed statistician PC Mahalanobis – Shamika Ravi, member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, said India was moving into an era of 'precision policymaking'. According to Ravi, given the size of the country, indicators such as the infant mortality rate and even the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) don't mean much at an all-India level, although such measures are needed for comparisons. 'But the reality is, policymaking largely depends on highly localised estimates, which is the effort we are now doing. We are moving towards district-level estimates because a lot of policymaking requires local, unbiased, as precise or as close to the truth – that's what an unbiased estimate is… We are moving into the realm of what is called precision policymaking. And precision policymaking, then and therefore, requires data which is representative at the local level, whatever local we define. We have now moved beyond aspirational districts to aspirational blocks,' Ravi said. Also speaking at the same event, MoSPI Secretary Saurabh Garg said it was essential the statistics ministry produces data which is 'machine readable' given the advent of artificial intelligence and machine learning and follows basic standards and norms so that data can be more effectively used for decision making. Towards this, the ministry is looking at data and statistics at a much broader level, Garg said, with a focus on ensuring that the data produced by different departments and ministries within the government – or administrative data – is focused and usable. Siddharth Upasani is a Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. He reports primarily on data and the economy, looking for trends and changes in the former which paint a picture of the latter. Before The Indian Express, he worked at Moneycontrol and financial newswire Informist (previously called Cogencis). Outside of work, sports, fantasy football, and graphic novels keep him busy. ... Read More
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Statistics Day celebrated to commemorate birth anniversary of Prof PC Mahalanobis
New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): In recognition of the remarkable contributions made by Professor (Late) Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis to the field of statistics and economic planning, the Government has designated his birth day, June 29, as Statistics Day. The primary objective of celebrating this Day is to raise public awareness, particularly among the younger generation, about the pivotal role of statistics in policy formulation for national development, the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation said in a release on Sunday. As per the release, the celebration for the 19th Statistics Day was held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi on Sunday. The theme for 19th Statistics Day was '75 Years of National Sample Survey', highlighting the enduring legacy and impact of the National Sample Survey in strengthening the statistical system of the country. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Rao Inderjit Singh, the Chief Guest of the event, in his address, paid tribute to Prof Mahalanobis and highlighted the significance of the dual milestone; the celebration of Statistics Day and the 75th year of the National Sample Survey (NSS). He spoke about the transformation of the statistical system through the use of technological tools for real-time data monitoring. He emphasised the need for methodological reforms such as updated sampling techniques, integrated survey frameworks, and harmonisation with international standards. He expressed the commitment of the ministry for inclusive engagement through consultations and capacity-building initiatives with State Governments. Union Minister lauded MoSPI's transparent and inclusive approach and urged the statistical community to support the national vision of a transparent and ever-improving National Statistical Office. He concluded by appreciating the dedication of statisticians and field functionaries of the ministry, as per the release. Delivering the welcome address, Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI, reflected on the NSS's remarkable journey and its evolution into one of the world's most robust and trusted statistical systems. Dr Garg highlighted the various reforms undertaken during this journey, which started in 1950. Time reduction in publication of survey results and availability of data at more granular level with higher frequency, digital transformation undertaken in various work sphere from data collection through CAPI to its Dissemination through eSankhyiki portal having more than 135 million records, a dedicated data visualisation section on the website for demystifying the complex data, mainstreaming of alternative data sources including administrative statistics in the official statistics system were some of the reform initiatives. Dr. Garg emphasised in his welcome speech. He also mentioned that MoSPI's focus on data dissemination through technology has changed the paradigm of data-driven policymaking en route to Viksit Bharat. Dr Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar, Chairman of the National Statistical Commission (NSC), in his address, mentioned the history of the Indian Statistical system and the valued contributions of Dr PC Mahalanobis to its development. He congratulated MoSPI for their efforts in modernising the Statistical system and thereby supporting data and evidence-based policy making. He underscored that statistical agencies can greatly contribute to other areas of governance, such as creating a uniform methodology for normalising scores in various online competitive exams and validating online voting. Such an initiative will create public trust in the government and will facilitate smooth governance. Approximately 700 participants, including Senior officers from central ministries and Departments, State and UT Governments, representatives from international organisations such as UN agencies, and other key stakeholders, attended the event. The event also featured a documentary on the ministry's activities, the release added. (ANI)
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
MoSPI launched GOIStats app to boost access to official data
The GOIStats mobile application, launched by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, aims to enhance accessibility to official data, featuring key socio-economic indicators. This initiative, coinciding with the 19th Statistics Day, underscores technology's role in transforming India's statistical system. The ministry also released reports on sustainable development goals, highlighting progress and persistent challenges across various sectors. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The National Sample Survey Office , under the ministry of statistics and programme implementation ( MoSPI ), launched the GOIStats mobile application on Sunday, aiming to make official data more app features a dashboard titled 'Key trends', which provides information on key socio-economic indicators such as inflation, gross domestic product (GDP), and employment.'Advanced filtering and search capabilities with comprehensive metadata, and mobile-optimized data tables are also available for seamless viewing,' the ministry app was launched on the occasion of the 19th statistics Minister of State (Independent Charge), Rao Inderjit Singh highlighted the growing role of technology in transforming India's statistical system for real-time data monitoring He also underlined the importance of methodological reforms like updated sampling techniques, integrated survey frameworks, and harmonisation with international technology-driven approach to data dissemination is reshaping the landscape of data-based policymaking, contributing to the vision of Viksit Bharat , said Saurabh Garg, secretary, ministry also released three publications -- National Indicator Framework Progress Report, 2025; Data Snapshot on Sustainable Development Goals , National Indicator Framework, Progress Report, 2025; and Sustainable Development Goals National Indicator Framework, SDG report noted that while India has made strides on various indicators, challenges remain.'While notable progress has been made in several sectors over the years, significant challenges continue to persist in others,' according to the population covered by social protection increased to 64.3% in 2025 from 22% in 2016. The share of population using an improved drinking water source in rural areas rose to 99.6% in 2024-25 from 94.6% in 2015-16.
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
India makes strides on UN development goals, but challenges persist
New Delhi: India has made measurable progress across several of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but persistent gaps in critical segments continue to challenge its development trajectory, the government's latest progress report shows. The SDG National Indicator Framework Progress Report 2025, released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI) on Sunday to mark the 19th Statistics Day, presents a detailed time-series assessment of over 280 national indicators aligned with all 17 SDG goals. The 17 SDGs, agreed to by all governments in 2015, are non-binding policy objectives for sustainable development, and include targets such as removing poverty and hunger, and ensuring good health, quality education, and gender equality by 2030. Among the standout gains, budgetary allocation to the department of health research soared by over 400% between FY16 and FY26. Institutional credit to agriculture rose from 0.76 times the value of agricultural output in FY16 to 1.56 times by FY24, signalling stronger financial backing for the farm sector. Food security coverage also expanded, with a rising share of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act, 2013 between FY16 and FY25. Access to basic services showed marked improvement. The SDG National Indicator Framework Progress Report 2025 serves as a valuable tool for policymakers to identify priority areas requiring interventions, Rao Inderjit Singh, minister of state (independent charge) of MoSPI, said in a statement. "This year holds special significance as it marks a decade since the adoption of the SDGs in 2015," he said. "This milestone offers a moment for both reflection and renewed commitment—an opportunity to evaluate our progress and recalibrate our path toward achieving the Agenda 2030," he added. The proportion of households with toilets, electricity, clean cooking fuel, and piped drinking water rose significantly over the past decade. The share of renewable energy in total installed power capacity also grew between FY20 and FY25. Yet, the report highlights several areas of concern. Government expenditure on essential services, education, health, and social protection edged down slightly from FY16 to FY24. The issuance of soil health cards to farmers declined from full coverage between 2015 and 2017 to 87.25% in FY25. The net sown area as a share of cultivable land dipped, while road accident fatalities rose from 11.81 per 1,00,000 population in 2015 to 12.4 in 2022. Alarmingly, the adolescent birth rate in girls aged 15–19 increased slightly from 11.1 per 1,000 in 2015 to 11.3 in 2021. Cases of dowry-related offences and overall crimes against women also trended upward between 2015 and 2022. On the economic front, India's FY25 GDP is projected to grow at 6.5%, just shy of the 7% annual target set under SDG 8. However, the manufacturing sector's annual growth rate has moderated since FY16. Built on data provided by various ministries and departments, the report offers a comprehensive snapshot of India's SDG trajectory, showcasing progress where policy interventions have worked, while flagging critical gaps that demand urgent, targeted action. Meanwhile, Saurabh Garg, secretary at MoSPI, said that the year 2025 is a pivotal midpoint in the SDG journey, underscoring the need to assess progress and refine strategies to stay on course for the 2030 targets. "It (the report) serves not only as a tool for monitoring progress on SDGs but also as a reference for identifying challenges and recommending follow-up actions at the national level," he added.
