Indian Official Statistical System

Part of the India Studies in Business and Economics book series (ISBE)

Abstract

Institutional arrangements in the statistical system have been evolved, in accordance with the division of powers between the Centre and the States and further allocation of subjects to administrative departments. Interdependency is a norm and a requirement in such a system. There would be a natural presumption among the public that production of statistics is controlled by the Government of the day. Hence, official statistics should earn public trust through its production and dissemination methods. Statistical coordination at national level for each sector in respect of administrative statistics may be entrusted to the Central Ministry/ Department dealing with major chunk of the sector. Functional separation of statistical units should be ensured, and advisory, coordinating, and regulatory functions should be delineated from production functions. The protocols on quality assurance and data sharing and notified guidelines on indices and surveys may be implemented. India, being a Member of the United Nations General Assembly, suitably adopts the statistical programs, methodology, protocols, conventions, and best practices of the various organs of the General Assembly from time to time. There should be a periodical review of statistical products including data sets used in National Accounts by the nodal offices. Regulation of statistics of national importance will have to be entrusted to National Statistical Commission (NSC), constituted as a statutory corporation. If the National Policy on Official Statistics is notified and implemented and the NSC Bill is enacted, they will enormously improve the system.