National Statistical Commission assumes office, vows autonomy

New Delhi, July 12: The first ever National Statistical Commission (NSC) today assumed charge of office, with its Chairman Suresh Tendulkar vowing to maintain its autonomy and ensuring, credibility, accountability and timeliness of data, "There have been accusations that there is manipulation of data by the government.

I deny that there has been any such thing. However, the NSC will work to ensure that there is no room for such doubts," Dr Tendulkar said addressing a press conference here, after the Commission took charge of office at the Sardar Patel Bhavan, which houses the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Dr Tendulkar said as the NSC was accountable to Parliament, it would zealously guard its autonomy. "We will maintain our independence from government," he quipped.

Referring to slips in the statistical system, Prof Tendulkar said with liberalisation and globalisation the demand for new types of data has emerged. The NSC would work to fill this gap.

Besides, reliability and credibility of data are of utmost importance. Agricultural statistics has been fairly reliable, he said adding that the same cannot be said about all other data.

Those who were present on the occassion included Mr G K Vasan, Minister for Statistics and Porgramme Implementation, Mr C Rangarajan, Chairman of Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (EAC), all the members of the Commission and other senior staff of the Ministry.

The members of the Commission are Dr Surjit S Bhalla, Head of Oxus Investments Limited, Dr Amitabh Kundu, Professor of Economics at the Centre for Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Prof Bikas Sinha of the Indian Statisical Institute, Kolkatta, and Dr Padam Singh, an internationally known expert in statistical sampling.

Prof Tendulkar is a member of the EAC, Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Sample Survey Organisation(NSSO) and on the faculty of Delhi School of Economics.

The Union government through a resolution in June 2005 decided to set up the NSC to serve as a nodal body for all core official statistics.

Prof Rangarajan said the Indian statistical system has grown phenomenally over the year and has benefitted from the science of statistics. However, it did not deliver goods in the manner in which the policy makers wanted.

He said despite these slippages, the NSSO was a model which many countries want to emulate.

Dr Rangarajan enjoined upon the NSC to work in a manner to ensure credibility, timeliness and adequacy of data. Dr Tendulkar expressed similar seniments.

Dr Rangarajan said it has often been stated that there is a trade off in pursuing these objectives.

Dr Rangarajan spoke of the lack of co-ordination in the statistical system--both horizontal and vertical and the need on the part of NSC to correct this. The eminent economist wanted the NSC to be given a statutory status. Mr Vasan said the genesis of the NSC can be traced to Dr Rangarajan Commission. He said the Commission reviewed the entire statistical system in India's federal set up and came with a number of suggestions. One of its key recommendations was to have a permanent commission to oversee the statistical activites and bring in transprency and credibility along with standardisation in the whole gamut of official statistics.

Dr Tendukar enumerated on the functions of the Commission.

These are to evolve and arrange to monitor the nation-wide strategies on --core statistics, framing and monitoring the advance release calender and dissemination of data.

It will evolve and monitor national strategies on Human Resource Development.

Besides, Dr Tendulkar said, the NSC will improve public trust in statistics by increasing and promoting public awareness of official statistics, monitoring and ensuring reduction of respondent burden and arranging interaction with data users.

The NSC will function as apex authority on statistical co-ordination and ensure quality assurance of statistical processes.

The other members of the Commission made several suggestions relating to improvement of the statistical system. These are need for greater computerisation of data, improving the quality of human resources, and greater reliability of data pertaining to the service sector.

UNI