Centre, States Push to Bolster Statistical Systems

08 Apr 2025 CW Team

The event brought together key stakeholders—including Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh, state chief ministers, deputy chief ministers, planning ministers, and senior officials from across States and Union Territories (UTs)—to build a unified vision for improving statistical capacities across the country.

The primary goal of the conference was to underline the importance of generating relevant, timely, and accurate statistics at both national and sub-national levels. Special focus was given to the urgent need for district-level socio-economic indicators to better inform public policy and welfare schemes.

Discussions centered around enhancing collaboration between the Centre and States, particularly under the Support for Statistical Strengthening (SSS) Scheme, facilitating participation in National Sample Surveys (NSS), and boosting capabilities for compiling GDP, Index of Industrial Production (IIP), and Consumer Price Index (CPI) at state and district levels.

The Ministry also emphasized support for innovative data collection, the use of administrative statistics and alternative datasets, and development of localized Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) monitoring frameworks. Additionally, implementation frameworks for the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme were reviewed.

The conference aimed to create a permanent institutional mechanism to ensure that states receive the technical support, financial assistance, and policy direction required to upgrade their statistical infrastructure—an investment crucial for transparent governance and effective development planning, potentially impacting schemes worth billions of rupees across India.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), through the National Statistics Office (NSO), hosted a high-level “Conference of State Government Ministers on Strengthening of Statistical Systems” on 5 April 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The event brought together key stakeholders—including Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh, state chief ministers, deputy chief ministers, planning ministers, and senior officials from across States and Union Territories (UTs)—to build a unified vision for improving statistical capacities across the country. The primary goal of the conference was to underline the importance of generating relevant, timely, and accurate statistics at both national and sub-national levels. Special focus was given to the urgent need for district-level socio-economic indicators to better inform public policy and welfare schemes. Discussions centered around enhancing collaboration between the Centre and States, particularly under the Support for Statistical Strengthening (SSS) Scheme, facilitating participation in National Sample Surveys (NSS), and boosting capabilities for compiling GDP, Index of Industrial Production (IIP), and Consumer Price Index (CPI) at state and district levels. The Ministry also emphasized support for innovative data collection, the use of administrative statistics and alternative datasets, and development of localized Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) monitoring frameworks. Additionally, implementation frameworks for the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme were reviewed. The conference aimed to create a permanent institutional mechanism to ensure that states receive the technical support, financial assistance, and policy direction required to upgrade their statistical infrastructure—an investment crucial for transparent governance and effective development planning, potentially impacting schemes worth billions of rupees across India.

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