MoSPI modernises India's statistical system with digital technology

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is modernising India's official statistical system with digital tech, AI, and automated surveys. The NSO has adopted Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) to improve data quality.

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (Image: X/@GoIStats)

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is modernising India's official statistical system through greater use of digital technologies, administrative datasets, automated survey processes and AI-enabled platforms to improve the quality, efficiency and accessibility of official statistics. The measures were outlined by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for MoSPI, Ministry of Planning and Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture, Rao Inderjit Singh, in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Technological Upgrades in Data Collection

The National Statistical Office (NSO) has adopted Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) for survey data collection through handheld devices equipped with built-in validation checks. The survey process is further supported by centralised servers, real-time monitoring dashboards, GPS tagging of surveyed households and secure electronic transmission of data.

"These measures have improved data quality by enabling validation at the point of data collection, reduced the time required for data processing and facilitated faster dissemination of survey results," the Ministry said.

Leveraging Administrative Datasets

Administrative datasets are also being increasingly integrated with sample surveys to prepare sampling frames and select survey samples. The GSTN database is used as the sampling frame for the Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises, while the Census 2011 village directory is used for the rural sector under the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises.

The Annual Survey of Industries uses administrative records maintained by the Chief Inspector of Factories and other statutory registration authorities, while the Ministry of Corporate Affairs database is used for preparing the survey frame for the Forward-Looking Survey of Private Corporate Sector CAPEX Investment Intentions.

Enhancing Quality and Standardisation

"MoSPI has developed the Statistical Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF), based on the United Nations National Quality Assurance Framework (UN NQAF), 2019, to strengthen quality assurance in official statistics," the Ministry said. The SQAF seeks to promote efficiency, reliability and accountability while ensuring adherence to the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.

To standardise metadata, MoSPI has also developed the National Metadata Structure (NMDS 2.0), which aims to ensure that data and information are uniformly represented and that data sources and collection methods are clearly identified.

Expanding Public Access to Statistics

The Ministry has also expanded public access to official statistics through the eSankhyiki portal, which currently hosts 29 statistical products, 913 datasets and over 137 million records. The revamped Microdata Portal provides access to anonymised unit-level data from more than 189 socio-economic surveys.

MoSPI has further launched AI-enabled features and interactive dashboards on its website, besides the GoIStat mobile application, to facilitate easier access and wider dissemination of official statistics. (ANI)

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