15th Finance Commission to recommend grants for statistics in second report

Experts say MoSPI can take up leadership role but states will have to do actual work

The Fifteenth Finance Commission will recommend grants for statistics in its second report, with an aim to improve statistical data collection and collation in India. This is among the various sectoral grants that the Commission has promised to award in its upcoming report, provided states and the Centre meet certain parameters. 

The move comes at a time of widespread criticism on official data in India. 

The Commission’s report for 2020-21, tabled in Parliament on the day of the Budget, recommended a marginal reduction in vertical devolution of the divisible tax pool to 41 per cent from the prevailing 42 per