The Government has launched a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to facilitate linking of artificial intelligence tools with official statistical databases. The MCP server is intended to enable authorised applications to access verified government data through the National Statistical Portal eSankhyiki. The initiative aims to support accurate data retrieval and to promote interoperability between statistical systems and AI platforms.

The beta version of the MCP server included seven key statistical products such as the Periodic Labour Force Survey, the Consumer Price Index, the Annual Survey of Industries, the Index of Industrial Production and National Accounts Statistics. The platform has now been extended to cover 21 products available on the eSankhyiki portal. This expansion is expected to increase the breadth of official data accessible to analysts, developers and policy makers.

Officials indicated that the MCP will provide standardised contextual metadata to assist machine processing and to improve the traceability of statistical outputs used in automated tools. The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and for the Ministry of Planning, who is also Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture, reported the development in the Rajya Sabha. The announcement reiterates the Government's emphasis on integrating reliable official statistics with emerging technologies.

The MCP server is expected to foster responsible use of artificial intelligence by enabling applications to cite authoritative sources and by reducing reliance on unverified data. By providing machine readable context and standard access methods, the protocol should support innovation while maintaining data provenance and quality controls. The extension to 21 statistical products signals a step towards wider adoption of official statistics within public and private sector AI applications.