Senior bureaucrat Dr P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has said that India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat must be driven by reliable and credible data, emphasizing that data-based decision-making should shape the country’s future governance.
Addressing the 20th Statistics Day celebrations on Monday, Dr Mishra congratulated the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on the release of its Vision Document 2026-31, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Progress Report and the first city-level estimates of labour markets and informal enterprises.
Highlighting the need for a robust statistical system, Dr Mishra said India had built one of the world’s most respected survey-based statistical systems but acknowledged that challenges such as outdated datasets, delays in data dissemination, fragmented systems, inconsistent data quality and declining professional capacity had necessitated comprehensive reforms. He noted that MoSPI, after extensive consultations with experts and stakeholders, had accepted 216 recommendations for time-bound implementation to strengthen the country’s statistical ecosystem.
Describing administrative data as a strategic national asset, Dr Mishra said it has the potential to improve programme design, targeted service delivery and timely decision-making. He stressed the need for greater coordination among Central ministries, departments, states and Union Territories to build integrated data ecosystems while ensuring privacy, security and confidentiality.
Dr Mishra also underlined the importance of developing AI-ready datasets without compromising the credibility, independence and transparency of official statistics. He said administrative data can become a powerful national resource only when backed by robust quality standards and trusted governance frameworks.
Concluding his address, Dr Mishra said reliable data would form the foundation of Viksit Bharat, ensuring evidence-based policymaking in which every citizen is counted and no one is left behind. He also felicitated Professor Arup Bose on receiving the Sukhatme National Award.
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