Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr P.K. Mishra, today underlined the growing importance of leveraging data generated through administrative processes for evidence-based policymaking and governance. He said this while addressing an event held in New Delhi to mark 20th Statistics Day. Mr Mishra underscored Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that India must become an expert in data-driven decision-making so that policy design and implementation become more accurate.
Speaking on the theme “Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data”, he reflected on the need for strengthening data quality, interoperability, integration, and governance frameworks to maximize the utility of such data for producing timely, reliable, and granular statistics. Mr Mishra also highlighted that India’s statistical system has been regarded as among the finest in the world and was a source of legitimate national pride for generations.
Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation, Rao Inderjit Singh, said that India can become Viksit Bharat by 2047 only based on data that is genuine and untampered.
On this occasion, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released four publications on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include SDGs-National Indicator Framework Progress Report, 2026; Data Snapshot on SDGs-National Indicator Framework Progress Report, 2026; SDGs-National Indicator Framework, 2026 (along with metadata); and Transforming Lives: India’s Achievements under the People Dimension of the SDGs.
National Statistics Day is celebrated every year on 29th June to commemorate the birth anniversary of Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, a pioneer in the field of statistics and economic planning. The Day aims to create public awareness, especially among the younger generation, about the importance of statistics in socio-economic planning and policy formulation for national development.
